Unanswered Prayers
by XeroKitty
Summary: Original character story. The Final Battle. Cloud returns to help Caleb and Angel defeat Experiment 819720Codename: Ayden.
1. Coming Home

**_Final Fantasy VII:_ Unanswered Prayers**

**Warning: ** There are spoilers in here. Major ones. And a lot of Cloud/Tifa love, so, if that displeases you, don't read any further. Plus, I took some liberties. I don't know what the hell _Advent Children_ is about, so I could be totally off. If that also bothers you, stop right here.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anyone or thing from Final Fantasy VII except for the game, a few posters, one comic, and two figurines. In other words, these aren't my characters (although the idea of owning Cloud appeases me greatly).

**Notes: ** This story takes place roughly two years after the Sephiroth/Meteor incident. Cloud has become involved in a random faction I've created and dubbed 'the Xero Faction'. Basically, wiping out all the leftover monsters still emerging from the Mako Reactors. He and Tifa live in her house, together, in Nibelheim. The others have gone off to do their own thing. They'll make an appearance. I hope.

_**Chapter 1**_

The water boiled. Tifa Lockheart quickly pulled the kettle off of the stove and carried it over to the small island in the center of the kitchen. She tipped it; steam and water spilled from the nozzle and into the glass coffee cup until it filled up three quarters of the way. She then placed the rapidly-cooling object in the sink and returned to her cup of scalding water, grabbing the tea bag off the counter and dropping it in. As one hand dunked the bag of leaves and herbs methodically into the water, the other grabbed the sugar spoon from its bowl beside her and began adding dollops of it to the concoction. After four spoonfuls (she liked her tea very sweet) she removed the teabag, wrung the last bits of flavor from it against her spoon, and tossed it into the garbage. Then, almost-done tea in hand, she wandered out into the foyer and stirred with the spoon idly, staring out of the large picture window.

He hadn't returned. Tifa knew that his work called for long hours, and sometimes, days without coming home. But, he had promised her that this mission would be easy. They were only going to the reactor on Mt. Nibel, so, it should have been over fairly quickly.

"It's been four days already," she said to no one in particular, taking a sip of her tea and finding it to be still too hot: she burned her tongue. Hissing, she put the cup on the window ledge and fanned her mouth with one hand, mentally cursing herself. Almost as if it had felt her pain, the baby let out a howl from its bedroom upstairs. Tifa turned and made her way up the steps, passing by the right-hand door and slipping into the only other one, which had been propped open to allow her to hear the baby's cries at any time. Moving quickly, she stepped over to the edge of the crib and looked down into the child's face, smiling gently.

"Hi, baby. Did you have a bad dream?" Tifa reached down and lightly scooped the infant up into her arms. "Hmm? Did you have a scary nightmare? It's okay, mama's here now."

She rocked him tenderly, shushing him quietly as the tiny child's wails turned into large, watery hiccups, and soon, trailed off to soft gurgles. One of his plump hands reached up to touch the long brown strands of his mother's hair, and she smiled at him.

"That's my boy," Tifa cooed, bouncing him gently and receiving a bubbly giggle in return. Her small, heart-shaped face broke into a smile which the baby tried to mimic. The toothless gesture made her smile widen, and she kissed the top of his soft head, noting to herself that the feathery blond strands already reached across his forehead. She tapped one finger lightly on his button nose.

"Just like your daddy," she teased. "You're going to be just like him, you know. Tall, strong, and so very handsome." Tifa's smile turned into a secret one; only one other person had ever seen it. "So perfect. That's what my baby's going to be. Perfect."

The small boy let his fingers curl slightly into his mother's hair as her voice soothed his eyes closed. His other hand came to his face, and she watched lovingly as he stuck his thumb into his mouth and began to suck. She began to pace in front of the large window, the sunset catching her orange-amber eyes and making them sparkle like firelight. The man who had been watching from the doorway uncrossed his arms and stood fully, one arm propping up against the wooden frame.

"He's got your eyes."

Tifa didn't jump. She knew his voice entirely too well. Turning, she beamed at her husband and watched him enter the baby's room.

"You're late."

"I know," Cloud Strife crossed over and gave the slightly shorter woman a kiss on her right temple. "I'm sorry. I took a small side-trip."

"Oh?" she kept her eyes to the baby's face, waiting until she absolutely knew he was asleep before moving back over to the crib and placing him inside gently.

Cloud reached over her shoulder and lightly tugged the blankets up to his son's chin, and smiled as the baby curled up against his hand. His harsh blue eyes found Tifa's: "I went to the City of the Ancients."

She nodded. "I thought so." He watched her turn and leave the room. "I hope you mentioned me."

"I did," he followed her out. "I met someone there, too."

"Who?" she started downstairs and before she could hear his response, there was a body flying at her.

"Tifaaaaaa!" the little girl cried, overjoyed. Shocked, Tifa barely had time to catch the hurtling body of Barrett Wallace's daughter, Marlene.

"Hey, Lene!" the older woman smiled and stroked the girl's brown bangs back from her forehead. "How've you been?"

"Perfect lil' angel, as always," her adopted father answered from the living room. Tifa lifted her head and smiled.

"Hi, Barrett."

"'Lo, Tifa," the large black man grinned back, waving at her with his artificial arm. She noted that it looked almost perfect, except for a single metal scar running around his upper forearm. She was glad Barrett had gotten rid of his gun arm, although she still really wasn't used to the idea of him without it.

She heard a slight gagging sound and turned her eyes to the foyer. Vincent Valentine put down the mug of now-cool tea and wrinkled his nose. "How much sugar did you drop in that, woman?"

"Vince!" Tifa laughed, nudging the small girl back toward her father and stepping into the living room area. "I'm so happy to see you both! Come in, sit down!"

Cloud joined her as Barrett took a seat on the couch and Vincent entered the room and chose an armchair by another window. This was a welcome change—the usually-pale man was now showing some slight color, and he seemed to welcome sunlight instead of shying away from it like he had two years previous. Marlene opted not to sit, and instead, made herself content by whizzing around the room as Tifa sat beside Barret and Cloud moved to sit on the loveseat opposite them.

"Ah!" Tifa admonished, freezing Cloud in mid-sit. "Shower. You're filthy."

"Tifa, we have guests," he rolled his eyes.

"You're covered in sweat, blood, and dirt. And those clothes are four days old. You're not sitting on my furniture like that; are you crazy?"

Barrett and Vincent both chuckled and Cloud straightened, shooting them both half-hearted glares.

"We're stickin' around fer a bit," Barrett assured him, waving a hand. "Go an' shower. You stink, child."

"Is that it? I thought it might have been something closer to a dead animal," Vincent said softly, so that only Tifa heard, and she pressed a hand to her mouth, giggling. Cloud threw up his hands and clomped upstairs.

"Your boots!" she called. Pause. Thump. Thump. He continued up. "And hang your sword up where the baby can't reach it!"

"Yes, dear," he called back down the stairs. They heard the door close, and doubled over with laughter.

"How is the baby?" Vincent straightened first. Tifa sat up and smiled at him.

"Caleb's doing just fine. He woke up a little before you arrived, actually."

"Is he awake now?" Marlene asked eagerly.

Tifa shook her head: "No, honey, I'm sorry. He went back to sleep."

Marlene pouted, but went back to entertaining herself by running around the coffee table and jumping over three pairs of legs.

"And you? A mama now, eh? How's it feel?" Barrett nudged her and she laughed.

"It feels… perfect," she answered truthfully.

"And is he givin' yeh and troubles?"

"Not at all. He's an angel."

"Well, now I know he doesn't take after his father," Vincent commented.

"If he're here, he'd be glarin' at yo' ass," Barrett looked over at the other man.

"Better glaring than kicking."

"'Men to that."

The doorbell rang. The three adults turned their heads to the front door. "I'll get it!" Marlene jumped up and ran to the foyer. They heard the door open and a friendly voice called in:

"Housekeeping!" Cid Highwind stepped into the house.

"Don't mind him, he's an idiot," Yuffie Kisaragi poked her head around the older man.

"Ain't this jus' a reg'lar party?" Barrett stood to greet his friends. Tifa jumped up and ran over to accept her guests, and soon, the lamps were lit, drinks were served, and the house was alive with laughter. Tifa couldn't remember things being this way since… Since the time right after Sephiroth's defeat in the Northern Crater. Everyone was so happy, so relieved. And everything was right. For a moment, Tifa remembered her wedding day. It was the last time all of them had been together. Barrett had somehow come out as their priest, Vincent as Cloud's Best Man, and Nanaki as the ring bearer. Yuffie had played her part as the Maid of Honor, and Cid, oddly enough, as the organ player. Apparently, it was a secret talent he never told anyone about.

And as Cloud came back down from his shower, washed and freshly dressed, and greeted the newcomers, they each decided eventually to turn in one by one at Gramp's Inn over by the front of town. That's when the baby started yelling, and Cloud told her he would see their friends out as she tended to the child. So, she waved goodbye and headed upstairs again, coming to her old bedroom and reaching down into the crib for her infant son. She took him to the window again and this time the moon greeted mother and child.

Tifa sat on the cushioned window ledge and shifted Caleb in her arms, unbuttoning the top part of her light blue shirt. She held him tightly in the crook of one arm, her other hand shifting her bra strap aside and tugging the material down, then guiding the baby's round face to her breast. His small pink lips caught her nipple and she jumped slightly, still not used to the jolt of happiness and slight pain his suckling gave her. Tifa felt herself soften as she watched her child feeding against her. _No matter what,_ she thought to herself, smiling lovingly. _I'll protect you, Caleb. For always._

And soon after, he slept again. Tifa returned him to his bed and tucked him in, placing a small stuffed brown bear beside him. "Teddy will watch over you while you sleep," she murmured, stroking her hand gently across his features. Then she left the room, crossing the short hall to her bedroom and peering inside. He stood at the window, looking out silently.

"They said they would pass by once more before they all headed home," he announced as she moved into the room. She nodded, suddenly feeling a bit too tired for speech. It didn't matter; Cloud didn't need words to know she responded. Neither of them did.

He turned and crossed the distance to her, watching silently as she fumbled with the rest of the buttons on her shirt. His larger hands slipped past hers and gently undid the remaining ones, and she shrugged the shirt off of her shoulders, noting briefly that her bra's strap was still off her shoulder. He lifted his hand and snagged it with two fingers.

"Fed the baby, I see." She nodded again. His hands dropped to her hips, coming forward along the waistband of her jeans and snapping open the button effortlessly. It always made her a little weak in the knees when he did that. "Let's get you to bed, shall we?" She knew she was blushing. He laughed at her response. "I think you're a little too tired for that."

Gently, he slipped an arm around her waist and guided her to the large bed in the center of the room. He lay her down and slowly pulled off her jeans for her. A little too slow for her taste, really. Cloud took them and went back, gathering the shirt up off the floor and draping both over the back of the armchair by the bedside. Then he returned to her, sliding into the bed beside her and pulling up the comforter.

"Mm… baby," she mumbled, turning her body to his and closing her eyes.

"I'll take care of the baby tonight, love," he assured her, bringing a hand to her head and stroking her long brown hair back from her face. "You get some sleep."

"I… haven't seen you…"

"I'll be here tomorrow when you wake up."

Tifa yawned and lifted a hand to press against his chest, feeling his heartbeat thrum softly beneath her fingertips.

"…love you…"

She was asleep.

Cloud smiled to himself in the darkness, his hand continuing to run through her hair long after she passed into dreams.

"I love you too," he whispered.


	2. Interrupted

_**Chapter 2**_

The baby gurgled. Tifa glanced over from her seat at the dining table and smiled against her cup.

"He sat up all by himself the other day," she said.

Cloud placed his fork down and turned his head to look at the child: "Did he _really?_"

Tifa nodded. The blond man rose from the seat beside her and walked over to the blanket spread out across the floor, kneeling by it and the small boy.

"That's my boy. Sitting up all by yourself like a big, strong man already."

Caleb reached for his father, making happy noises.

Cloud laughed and wiggled his fingers. "Can you sit up again, so daddy can see? Hm?"

The baby gripped his thumb and wrist, bringing his mouth to the side of his father's hand and proceeding to cover it in fresh drool.

"Ah!" he laughed again, lifting his arm slowly and the baby rose as well, still hanging on with hand and mouth. "Fierce little thing, I will say that."

"He gets it from you," Tifa commented from her seat at the table. Cloud smiled back at her and began to play with baby Caleb. Rolling her eyes, Tifa stood and grabbed his plate, walking around to the two and crouching beside her husband. "When was the last time you had a decent meal, honestly? Here, open."

She hand-fed him the rest of his breakfast as he played with their son. Occasionally, her fingers would linger a bit too long on his lips, or he licked the residue of the food from their tips a little too eagerly. They began exchanging glances as this continued. He lifted an eyebrow as she slowly fed him the remaining piece of bacon. She winked as he sucked lightly on the tip of each finger that passed his mouth.

"Should I put the baby in his room?" Cloud mused aloud with a grin. Tifa got up and went into the kitchen to wash the breakfast plates.

"I don't know," she called back with a slight hint of tease in her voice, "Lene really wants to see him."

"Do you think they can take him for a morning?"

"Why? Were you planning on being busy today?"

"Actually, I've made other plans with this woman…"

"Oh really? What were you planning on doing?"

"I don't know. I thought something nice, but a little too… well, loud, for a baby."

Damned if the man didn't like too much subtlety. Tifa smiled to herself.

And, as if Cloud had already set this entire fiasco into motion, there was a knock on the door.

"Wonder who it could be?" he chirped and her suspicions were instantly confirmed. She laughed silently and shook her head as she heard him open the door and greet whoever was there.

"Marlene's happy as a chocobo in a field o' greens," Barrett chuckled.

"Caleb! I wanna see baby Caleb, pleeeeeeeeease, Cloud?" the aforementioned girl bounced up and down. Cloud laughed at her eagerness.

"You can watch him while I put together a bag for him. Come on, Lene."

"YAY!"

They left up the stairs. Tifa finished the dishes as Barrett stepped into the house and closed the door.

"Taking da day for you and yo' man?"

She blushed: "It wasn't _my_ idea."

"It's aw'right," he grinned. "We'll jes' spend a day wit lil' man."

"You don't have to. Honestly, I don't know what he was thinking—"

"He wasn't thinkin' nut'ing but being wit you again," Barrett laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. She smiled at her long-time friend and placed her hand on his own.

"Thanks, Barrett."

Cloud, Caleb, and Marlene returned. The little girl was dragging the bag down the steps and chatting excitedly to the man about how Papa had finally gotten her the kitty she always wanted, and how the kitty was currently at a friend's house as she traveled with Papa to see the Flower Lady's big, pretty home, and how they had made really pretty flowery boat-things out of white tree skin and put them on the big lake, and how she'd never seen white trees or water that sparkled. Cloud nodded his head; sometimes it was funny how much patience he had. He handed Caleb to Barrett, whom he had dressed in a blue jumpsuit and red undershirt, with a small red-orange jacket over his tiny body.

"Everything you need's right in the bag," he gestured and Marlene held up the backpack of items proudly. "And if he's giving you any trouble, just bring him back."

"Yea' right," Barrett grinned broadly, cuddling the baby in his arms. The vast size differences looked almost comical, and Tifa knew her maternal instincts would be kicking in if it wasn't for the fact that it was Barrett holding him, and she absolutely knew he was safe.

"Bye, Tifa! Bye Cloud! Thanks for letting us take Caleb!" Marlene sang and rushed out of the house. Barrett nodded at them both and turned to leave as well. He paused as if he were going to say something else, then shook his head and left, closing the door behind him and closing in his final words:

"We'll be back a' six. 'Have yo'selves."

Cloud waited exactly 0.2 seconds.

"So, this woman," he slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her tight to him, "do you know if she's busy right now?"

"Let me check," she slid her own arms around his shoulders and rose on her tiptoes, bringing her lips to his ear. "No, actually, she's quite free at the moment."

"Oh, good," he responded and lowered his own lips to the curve of her neck, kissing lightly. "Very good…"

How they even got upstairs was beyond her comprehension. And the clothing… she'd have some sewing to do after this. Of course, however, that was the last thing on her mind. Although, truthfully, there wasn't anything _on _her mind besides the fact that his hands were all over her and his touch was like an ice blade cutting through her burning flesh. Their bodies were coated in a sheen of sweat as they tangled in the blankets, rocking strongly, slowly, their voices joining as intimately as their bodies, names turning to moans, escalating to screams of passionate ecstasy.

Tifa Lockheart was a very happy woman.

Cloud lay stretched out beside her, his eyes closed and his breathing slow. She turned to face him, her eyes taking in the way the late afternoon (Already? It had been breakfast just a little while ago…) sunlight made his profile glow surreally. Tifa lifted a hand to touch the angle of his cheek, and he opened his eyes and turned his head to hers.

"Hm…?"

"I thought you were asleep," she lay the hand against his face.

He shook his head: "I'm actually pretty awake, I just need to catch my breath."

"Mm… worn yourself out?" she propped herself up with her other hand and grinned lazily. He paused only briefly before rolling over on top of her.

"Nah," he grinned back, and pressed his mouth onto hers. Tifa moaned into him, her arms coming around his shoulders again and guiding him down to lay atop her.

_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!_

"Argh…" Cloud mumbled against her lips.

"Do we have to get it…" Tifa pouted and he sucked on her bottom lip eagerly.

_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!_

"Guess that's a yes," he grumbled and sat back. Tifa pushed her hair out of her face and slipped from the bed, standing and stretching slightly. Cloud reached over and pulled her back down against him, showering her neck and shoulders with kisses. She giggled happily until…

_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!_

"I'll get it," she sighed and rose once more. She grabbed her robe hanging on the back of the bedroom door and slipped it on, tying it closed as she thumped down the stairs.

_KNOCK KNOCK—_

"I'm getting there!" she shouted across the foyer, rolling her eyes. Her hand fumbled on the locks for a second and then she twisted the knob and pulled the front door open. "Ye—"

"Sorry, Tifa," Vincent strode inside quickly, moving directly into the kitchen. She heard him grabbing something off the counter and the faucet began to run. She tried to close the door, but someone else was pushing in past her.

"Could you get us a towel or something so we don't ruin your floor?" Cid looked over at her sheepishly, looking as if he were carrying something heavy on his back. She closed the door and came face to face with Nanaki, who was indeed sprawled atop Cid's broad back, looking severely bruised and broken. Dark, purplish-red blood spilled from hundreds of tiny cuts and several larger gashes that ran along his flank, exposing the bone underneath the red-orange fur.

"Cloud!" she turned and dashed back upstairs.


	3. To the Mountain

_**Chapter 3**_

Tifa twisted the ends of her hair in her fingers. Cloud stood behind her as she sat perched at the edge of the armchair, his hands tight on her shoulders.

"He came from Mt. Nibel," Vincent finally informed as he sat back and wiped an arm across his brow, the Restore materia in his hand losing its harsh green glow. "He mentioned something about an enemy wave coming out of the reactor on the mountain."

Tifa glanced up at Cloud: "Weren't you just there?"

"Yeah," he nodded gravely. "We wiped out every last one of them, or so I thought."

"Apparently not," Cid sighed and made to sit down on the loveseat. Tifa shot him a glare. He froze.

"Shower."

He went upstairs.

"I'll get you clothes," Cloud said, stroking Tifa's hair gently with his fingers and then following the other man.

"What is he doing way out here, anyway?" Tifa slid off the chair and knelt beside the orange-red creature, stroking her fingers as tenderly as she could through its tangled fur.

"He dragged himself into town with the last of his strength," the dark-haired man shook his head. "We don't know anything except what he managed to tell us before passing out."

"And where are the others?" she asked tensely.

"I don't know," came the man's truthful reply, "but I don't think they're on the mountain."

Tifa nodded and bit her lip. She didn't want to say it out loud, but she was getting a very bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, and her thoughts were turning to her baby more and more by the second. _Please god,_ she begged silently. _Please, not my baby. Not Caleb._

Nanaki's good eye was twitching. Both she and Vincent leaned over, holding their breaths. The animal huffed and shifted, growling loudly as it aggravated its injuries. His yellow eye shot open, darting around the room and taking in his surroundings.

"You're in Tifa's house," Vincent informed him.

"Barrett…" he grumbled, trying to get to his feet. His muscles twitched and he fell back to the carpet with a shudder. Tifa quickly cast Cure 3 again.

"What about Barrett?" she placed the materia beside her and lay both her hands on his fur, rubbing soothingly.

"Mountain… monsters…"

Vincent and Tifa exchanged tense glances over their companion's shaking frame.

"Barrett was on the mountain?" Vincent asked. Nanaki nodded weakly, his tongue lolling out as he panted for breath. "Was anyone with him?" A negative shake of the head. Tifa sat back and sighed wearily, closing her eyes. "Why was he there? Did he say?" Another negative response. Cloud returned from upstairs, looking at the three grave faces.

"You're alright," he finally decided on addressing Nanaki first. The creature nodded, trying to stand again. Vincent helped him shakily to his feet.

"We have to go back," he gasped, limping toward the door.

"You're in no condition to go back out there."

Tifa rose quickly. "But I am." She moved past her friends and her husband, starting up the stairs. Cloud caught her arm but she did not turn to him.

"You can't go up there alone. You know how dangerous it is."

"Nanaki's wounded. Cid and Vincent don't have any weapons with them. You just got back. I'm the only one that can go."

"Tifa, I can't let you—"

"Our son's out there, Cloud!" she screamed, whirling to face him. He met her slightly panicked stare evenly.

"I know that, Tifa," he said gently. "We'll both go."

"I'll meet you there," Vincent rose, striding toward the door. "I have one or two things stored in the old mansion's basement."

Tifa turned and stormed her way up the stairs, entering her bedroom. She strode quickly over to the walk-in closet and pulled its doors open, reaching past all the dresses, suits, and coats, and retrieving her battle clothing from two years previous—a white tank top and black leather skirt. Her Premium Heart gauntlets were hanging on the back wall of the closet, and she took those down as well. Cloud entered the room as she was changing. She clipped the metal belt around her waist and straightened the straps of her leather suspenders, then leaned over to tighten the laces of her steel-toed boots.

"You still look good," he said with a slight grin. She stood and rolled her eyes.

"Cloud, the baby—"

"Tifa, I know you're worried about our son," he said, crossing the room and pulling the freshly washed mercenary uniform from its hook in the back of the closet. "I am too. I'd like to know where he is, but we have to trust that Barrett put him with Marlene in a safe place. We'll find them." She pressed her lips together, still looking upset. "I promise, he'll be fine. You know I would never let anything happen to him."

"…I know you wouldn't," she finally answered, and gave him a weak half-smile. He smiled back and changed into his uniform. Cid was just getting out of the shower as Cloud and Tifa were walking through the front door.

"Where are you two going?" he blinked.

"Stay with Nanaki," Cloud ordered.

"Use a Cure 3 spell on him every hour or so," Tifa added, and they were both gone. Cid stood in the middle of the foyer, a confused look wrinkling his brow. Then he turned to Nanaki, who was laying stretched out along the living room floor, wincing soundlessly.

He sighed: "Do we _ask_ for shit like this?"

Vincent joined up with them as they were leaving the city. He had donned an old leather holster, and a small silver rifle was tucked securely into it, as well as one in his belt. Not needing to speak a confirmation, the three tore through the valley, the purple, mako-rich mountains rising up quickly like jagged teeth on either side. They ran so fast, the scenery became blurred and the wind shrieked in their ears. Cloud led them onto the faint mountain path, Tifa bounding up after him, and Vincent staying close behind. As they ran toward the Mako Reactor, however, Tifa was suddenly gripped with something so real that she stopped as if she had slammed into a brick wall.

"_What is this place? It's beautiful."_

"_It's a Mako Fountain; materia in its natural state."_

"_Shin-Ra's reactor is going to destroy this one day. They keep draining more and more energy from the planet."_

"Tifa…?"

She looked up from her train of thought. Vincent and Cloud were both looking at her oddly.

"I think I know where Caleb and Marlene are," she said to them.

"How?" the black-haired man looked slightly shocked.

"Do you remember that mako cave? The one with the crystallized materia in it?" she addressed Cloud. He nodded.

"There? I didn't think anyone knew how to get there," he said, but Tifa shook her head.

"We all went there once, together," she reminded him, and now that she said it out loud, it just _felt_ right. Logical. Of _course _Barrett would have put the kids somewhere secluded and devoid of monsters. It was the perfect hiding place. "I'll go get them."

"Tifa…"

"I'll stay right there! We won't move; I just want to find them before something, anything, happens. Okay?"

"You won't move?"

"I won't. We'll be waiting right there for you all to come get us."

"You promise?" Cloud lifted an eyebrow. "No dramatics? Just finding the kids and sticking in one place?"

"Yes!" she cried and turned to navigate her way through the twists and turns of the mountain range.

"Tifa!"

She looked back.

"…be careful. I have a bad feeling."

She waved off his warning, ignoring the shudder that crept its way up her back. "Nothing's going to happen." _You have a bad feeling too? I hope I'm not too late…_


	4. Out of Time

_**Chapter 4**_

The baby made soft squealing noises as his amber eyes roamed around the wide cavern. Marlene came back from her exploration of the crystal fountain.

"It's very pretty, Caleb," she told him, picking him up clumsily and bringing him over to the glowing white-barked sapling. "See that? It's just like the big trees where the Flower Lady lives. Have you met her? She's really nice and pretty and her flowers always smell good."

Caleb reached out a hand to touch one of the crystal 'leaves': "Gah."

In the darkness beyond the fountain, two red eyes shifted.

Tifa Lockheart stumbled into the cave, grasping a stitch in her side. The two children turned their eyes to their new addition.

"Tifa!" Marlene cried happily.

"Aa!" the baby gurgled, waving one chubby fist at her. She smiled breathlessly at them, sitting down against one of the uprooted trees and opening her arms.

"Come here, you two," she laughed, the noise sounding relieved in the enclosed space. Marlene carried Caleb over to his mother, chatting excitedly.

"Papa told us to stay here because he said he saw an old friend and wanted to go say hi and that the mountains were dangerous so me and baby Caleb would be safe here and it's all pretty and that tree looks like the ones in the Flower Lady's home, did you know that?"

"Yes," Tifa nodded her head, taking the baby from the little girl's arms. "And has he behaved?"

"Papa told me to feed him one of the white bottles and I did and he's been good and he likes this cave too."

"It's a very pretty cave," she agreed, her eyes searching over Caleb's body, looking for any signs of trouble finding him. Not a single bruise marred his lightly tanned flesh, and she smiled again, relaxing wearily against the thick brown trunk behind her.

"Tifa, where's Papa? When's he coming back? I'm getting hungry and I miss him," Marlene pouted slightly. Tifa realized that even though she had fed Caleb, the girl hadn't eaten anything since that morning, if she had eaten breakfast at all. A wave of guilt passed over her, and she took the little girl's hand in one of hers, pulling her close and laying a forehead against her slightly smaller one.

"Your daddy is with Caleb's daddy," she licked her lips. "They're a little busy, so I came to get you two."

"Can I see Papa soon?" the brown-haired girl whimpered.

Tifa nodded: "Yes, very soon. Let's get you home and get something to eat, okay?"

"Yay!" Marlene brightened and grabbed the baby's bag her father had left with them. Tifa bit her lip as she rose. _I'm sorry, Cloud. I know I promised, but, Lene… I have to take care of her, like Barrett took care of Caleb._ She shifted her son into the crook of her left arm, sitting him against her hip and taking Marlene's hand with her free one.

"Quickly, Marlene, okay?"

"Okay," the girl agreed. They started for the entrance. A growl made Tifa freeze. "Tifa…?" Her eyes slowly turned to look behind them. A huge purple-scaled dragon reared its head, its red eyes fixed on them hungrily.

"RUN!" she shoved Marlene into a stumbling run. Marlene tripped over the bag in the sudden rush and fell to her hands and knees.

"OW!" she screeched, tears springing into her huge brown eyes. Tifa whirled fully and tugged her to her feet.

"Come on, Lene! Run!"

"It hurts!" she wailed. The dragon lunged forward, snapping its jaws at them. Tifa threw herself over Marlene and clutched Caleb close. The teeth found her and she screamed soundlessly, her hair cascading over her back and shoulders as blood flew into the air and spattered onto the black-purple snout. Her eyes flashed and she turned within the dragon's fangs, her right hand shooting up and forcibly pushing the top of its jaw away from her.

"Run, Lene," she growled, sliding out from the dragon's teeth, one foot planting on its lower jaw, the other holding its mouth wide open.

"What about you?" Marlene looked up at the woman, her eyes huge and rimmed with tears.

"Scream for Papa. Scream for Cloud. Go."

Marlene, however, could only stare at Tifa as she used pure strength to toss the dragon to the cave floor. The ground shook. She ran, her body filling with power she had kept untouched for two years. She drew a fist back, tightening her arm around her child, who looked up at her with her own eyes.

"Ma."

She screamed.

Cloud stopped as he felt the ground tremor slightly. No one else had noticed. His eyes turned up toward Mt. Nibel and tried to find the cave on its face through the wisps of vapor trails circling it. Barrett and Vincent looked up from where they had finished bandaging the large black man.

"Cloud?" he grumbled, struggling to get up. Vincent rose and helped him to his feet.

"I don't know what's going on here," he mumbled, running a hand back wearily through his blond hair. "Tifa…"

"Les'go find her."

Cloud nodded.

Vincent let the two of them up the mountain path first and then followed. "So, Tifa was right. You did leave Marlene and Caleb in the mako fountain cave."

"I ain't know where'lse to put 'em."

"It was a good decision."

The ground trembled again, this time, noticeably.

"Wha' was dat?" Barrett looked to Cloud. The ex-mercenary paused, his mako-blue eyes narrowing slightly.

"Let's go," he began to run.

"Wait!" Vincent called after him. "Barrett can't run yet!"

He ignored the other man's cries, speeding up. The bad feeling had escalated, and somehow he knew that Tifa had had a similar feeling.

"Tifa!" he gasped.

Tifa limped out of the cave. Marlene pulled gently on her arm, shooting worried glances back at the woman. She smiled at her, although she knew she must have looked a little gruesome. She felt gentle brushes of small fingers on her face and turned her eyes down to her child. Caleb studied her dirty, sweat-streaked face, his own looking terribly grave. She lay a gentle hand against his face and smiled softly.

"Caleb… you need to be strong for mama."

"Ma," he said softly.

"Hey look!" Marlene released her hand and ran over to the ledge, looking down. "Cloud's coming! And so is Papa! And Vince too!" Relief washed over her, draining the strength from her legs and making her fall to her knees. Marlene heard the noise and turned around. "Tifa!"

"Lene," she panted softly, watching numbly as she saw blood trickling across the rock floor. "You know I love you, right?"

"I love you, Tifa," she said weakly.

"Good. Now be a good girl and go get Cloud, Vincent, and Papa."

Marlene nodded and turned to run. "I'll be right back!"

Tifa watched her go, then gently lowered herself and Caleb to the cold, blood-stained floor. She wrapped both arms around her child and closed her eyes, her head coming to rest on his round belly.

"My son," she whispered sweetly, closing her eyes, "Caleb. I know you're going to be such a strong, handsome man." His hands touched her hair and a smile flickered across her face. "Such a good boy. I love you, Caleb. I love you more than anything else in this world, or the next."

"Mama," the baby gurgled.

Tifa cried.

"Tifa!" Cloud ran inside the cave. He heard Marlene shouting at Barrett and Vincent, how Tifa was hurt because she had been fighting a big nasty dragon. His eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness and he stepped forward. "Tifa?" There was a slight splashing sound and he looked down at the darkly-stained rock passage. His eyes followed the dark river deeper into the cave, and saw two figures huddled against one wall. He rushed over. "Tifa!"

"…Cloud…"

He fell to his knees and pulled her into his arms. Caleb was in her embrace, cooing softly, his hands stroking his mother's hair. The woman was covered in blood, sweat, and dirt, and he couldn't see exactly where she was wounded because his eyes were blurring from his tears.

"Oh, Tifa," he whispered. "What did you do? What happened?"

"Baby…" she coughed, twitching in his arms.

"I know," he dropped a hand to one of hers laying against the child's flesh. "Tifa, we have to get you home before—"

"Stay…" she pleaded. Her eyes were dark. Cloud hugged her tighter against his chest, holding his breath as sobs threatened to escape him.

"No, Tifa. We have to—"

"Please… Cloud…" Her other hand lifted to his face, cupping his cheek slightly. "…live… Caleb… take care of…"

"Tifa…"

"I…" Tifa gave him that special, secret smile. "…love…"

Her eyes closed.

"Tifa?" his own eyes widened.

"…you."

Her hand slipped from his face and struck the floor. Caleb made a distressed sound in his throat and struggled against the hands on his stomach, sitting up. He turned his face to Tifa's, one pudgy hand reaching down and touching one still eyelid.

"Mama…?" he whimpered. He closed his eyes and lowered himself to her chest, pressing one small ear to the place over her ceased heartbeat. He wailed and huge tears leaked from his eyes.

Cloud watched, numb. His hand continued to move mechanically over Tifa's face and hair, stroking the bangs away from her closed eyes. The baby's cries echoed in the cave, tearing into Cloud's defenses. His own heart was making the same cries, and he wanted to voice them; he'd give anything to throw back his head and wail his grief. But…

He stood, Tifa and Caleb both in his arms. Turning slowly, he could already sense Vincent, Barrett, and Marlene at the cave entrance, waiting for him. Wordlessly, Vincent turned and started back down the mountain path. Barrett opened his mouth to try to say something, saw Cloud's face, and turned as well, lifting Marlene onto his shoulder.

"Is Tifa okay, Papa?" she asked him. "Is she hurting?" Barrett squeezed her tight to him and followed Vincent down.

"No, baby. She ain't hurtin' no more."

Cloud silently walked to the exit, looking down at Caleb and focusing on his son and his shrieks.

"I'll be strong for you, Caleb," he whispered shakily. "I'll be strong."

Cloud knew he would cry later anyway.


	5. A Procession

_**Chapter 5**_

Caleb had finally gone to sleep. Cloud exited the bathroom, his wife's body naked and slightly glistening with moisture in his arms. He had removed the ruined clothing and cleansed her of sweat, dirt, and dried blood. Now he stood in the center of their bedroom, looking around in a daze. His body moved without him telling it to; he crossed over to the bed and lay her on the mattress and then went over to the closet and pulled it open. He hesitated only slightly as he reached in and grabbed a few articles of clothing, bringing them back over to her, his movements slow and mechanical. Cloud proceeded to dress Tifa: a white tank top, a short black skirt, a metal belt, brown leather suspenders and her Premium Heart gauntlets, and finally, a black, fur-lined leather coat and her steel-toed boots. He picked her up again and headed back downstairs, coming face to face with their friends.

"We're comin' too," Barrett spoke up for them all. Cloud nodded, his gaze unfixed.

"I gave her a jacket," he explained for no reason in particular," because she might get cold." He clutched her body tightly against his chest until the others acknowledged him with understanding nods. They knew how hard it was to speak of her as if she were really…

Cloud stepped out of the house. The group followed out behind him, Yuffie the last to leave. She locked the door and pocketed the key, rushing to catch up with the procession. They exited the town limits and started back up through the valley, heading for the base of Mt. Nibel: Cloud carrying Tifa, leading the way; Barrett and Cid following at a slight distance; Vincent and Yuffie behind them; Nanaki bringing up the rear. They hiked up the narrow mountain pass, the peaks of the smaller mountains falling beneath them as they climbed, their breaths heaving as the air thinned, but no one cared. Across the old wooden bridge that creaked threateningly, but no one paid any attention. Up still, winding around the recently-destroyed reactor, the path twisting and turning through the blood and mako and dead bodies of the creatures that had threatened to swarm them just hours ago. Only hours. They passed silently by the jagged rips in the reactor's hull and past the torn, hacked tubing for mako transportation. The green, ethereal liquid splashed hollowly beneath their heavy footfalls as they continued onward, climbing onto the sheer mountain face and slipping into the cave just below the overhanging cliff face. They skirted around and beneath the stalagmites and stalactites humming with the planet's power as their hues flickered from deep forest green to sunset orange to dragon hide purple and thrummed hoarsely with the mourners' thoughts. Cloud avoided his eyes from the dark maroon spill on the rock and dirt on one side, stepping into the secondary cave, which was alight with the mako fountain's eternal glow. They filed in after him, stopping only a few steps in and letting Cloud continue forward on his own. The blond halted just before the white-skinned sapling and lowered Tifa to the ground, taking a step back and turning his head to nod at the others. Barrett came forward first. He got to his knees and patted her hair and cupped a large hand to her small, round face and kissing her forehead; it looked like a weary father finally kissing his child goodnight while she slept. He rose and made his way to the cavern exit. Cid passed him on the way back, and crouched beside the woman's body, reaching over and laying one of his hands on her own. He opened his mouth to say something, shook his head and stood, and followed after Barrett. Vincent nudged Yuffie forward, and the younger woman stumbled forward, dropping to her knees beside her friend and embraced her. Her shoulders began to shake with uncontrolled sobs as she silently began to cry and tried to pull away, but physically could not move. Vincent came to her side, reaching down and touching a slight hand to Tifa's cheek, running his long fingers along the curve of her face. Then he helped Yuffie to her feet and they joined the others at the exit. Nanaki limped forward—he was still not fully healed—and began to lick every inch of her face, nuzzling his snout into her hair and snuffling, his whimpers barely audible to anyone's ears but the dead woman's. Finally he pulled away reluctantly and shuffled back to the others, his tail hanging down between his legs. Cloud took a step forward and they left without being told. They knew better. Cloud couldn't touch her, only stare.

"Tifa…" he whispered, his voice registering just above silent. Tears gathered at the corners of his hard blue eyes, hot and stinging. He sobbed, the noise sounding choked in the large domed cave. And suddenly, he let himself go.

Cloud collapsed onto Tifa, his arms coming tight around her waist and his face buried into her lap. "**_TIFA!_**" he screamed, gasping in a thick, sharp breath and let it out in a burst of incoherent hiccups. His eyes squeezed shut and he wailed—he shrieked: "**_TIFA!_**" The last syllable of her name fell into a round of chest-hitching sobs. He shifted to press his ear against her chest, knowing her heart wasn't beating but hoping, _praying_, that he could just catch the slightest murmur. Of course, nothing. Cloud let his lips traverse over her chest, neck, shoulders, and face, still crying; pitiful, heart-wrenching whimpers spilling uncontained from his chest. His tears splashed onto her cheeks and slipped down along the pale skin, and for an instant, it seemed as if she were crying with him.

He slowly tore himself away, almost hearing the sound of disattachment and he had to grip the cold rock ground in order to suppress the urge to fling himself back against her. Tiredly, he struggled to his feet and dragged himself out of the larger cave, gripping onto the rock wall for support and restraint. He wanted to turn his head so badly, but he didn't think it would be wise. Instead, he stumbled outside where the others were waiting patiently. They saw his weary, forlorn, and forsaken face, and backed into a semi-circle around him. Cloud stood in the center of the stone archway, his look flickering to one of slight thought. Then he turned and pulled the crystal-edged Ultima Weapon from the harness on his back and stuck it deep into the earth, flinching as the planet gave a slightly pained shudder, only felt by him through the blade. He reached into a pouch on his belt and withdrew two materias. Wordlessly, the others each reached into a pocket or a pouch and unearthed a single material each.

As a rule, everyone had to sell their hard-earned, long-used materia. They all decided it was the best way to promote peace and stop the production of magical orbs, at least reduce it. But, they had all agreed that it would be nice, for memory's sake, to keep one each. A special one, with the most thoughts and memories attached to it, for the individual. Cloud hefted the two in his hands—one had been of his choosing, and one, of Tifa's. He slipped Tifa's Restore materia into the first slot of eight, then stepped back slightly and nodded his head without turning to look at what the others would do; he knew.

Barrett placed his Contain materia into the second slot: _She as hard as rock an' cold as ice; get to know'er, an' she's as gen'le as the wind, and her smile warms you up like a fire._

Yuffie sniffled and dropped the Barrier materia into next opening: _Strong and dependable and never yielding… like a wall, protecting each and every one of us._

Cid grinned weakly, reaching past Cloud and shoving his mastered Double Cut materia into the fourth opening: _I hope angels can kick ass in heaven. Send some poor demons to hell in our place. We're not going for a while yet._

Vincent came up next and Ultima found its place just below the yellow command orb: _Like a river of energy, you spill into each of our lives and force back the darkness. I owe everything to you and your husband._

Nanaki came forward, the Phoenix summon material glowing fire-red in his fangs, and gave the orb to the sword: _From the ashes of disaster, you always birthed new hope. Thank you, and fly to heaven on phoenix wings._

Cloud's materia sat in his hand, a dull blue. He lifted it to the second-to-last hole and let it lock in, closing his eyes at the sound of finality: _Tifa…_

They watched the sword turn colors—green, yellow, red, blue, and then white again. They also felt, more than saw, a magical wall emanate from the sword and seal up the entrance to this ever-sacred place. Still unspeaking, they left the cave and started for home.

No one saw the eighth and final materia slot glimmer as a greenish-white orb manifested itself into the blade. The magical wall became solid crystal, and inside the resting place of the late Tifa Lockheart, the crystal tree began to grow.

When they reached the bridge, Cloud stopped. The others were halfway or most of the way down before anyone took notice and turned back to him.

"Cloud?" Yuffie called. He was looking back, as if debating something. Finally, he turned his back fully to them.

"Cloud! Where'yeh goin'?" Barrett hollered up to him.

"I…" he spoke, just loud enough so the mountain gusts could carry his voice down to them. "I can't help but feel as if this is all… unfinished. Why did those monsters attack so suddenly, and in such a large group? It was as if they were trying to distract us."

"You think this was all planned," Vincent stated rather than questioned.

"That's got to be the biggest load of crock I've ever heard!" Cid cried.

Cloud turned his head so that one cold blue eye was glaring back at them: "Please… take care of my son."

"What!" Yuffie screeched.

"Cloud, what are you thi—" Nanaki started to ask when a noise made all their focuses shift downward.

"Ah, fuck," Cid spat.

"The bridge!" Barrett yelped.

They all managed to make it to the safety of the lower mountain path, Nanaki and Yuffie having to make a slight leap as the planks completely gave way under their feet. Their eyes returned to the top of the cliff as they huddled together, catching their breath, and he was gone.

"I can't believe…" Nanaki panted slightly.

"What the hell is this fool child thinking?" Cid slapped his hands over his eyes and rubbed his temples.

"DAMMIT CLOUD!" Yuffie screamed with all her might, cupping her hands over her mouth to allow the sound to echo out over the mountain. "TIFA'S GONE BUT YOU STILL HAVE YOUR SON! HE NEEDS YOU!"

"I think," Barrett spoke up and they all turned to him, "tha' Cloud can't be kept here wit Tifa on'is mind. The points he made irk me too." The large black man gave a helpless shrug. "Much as his son needs him, he needs ta settle his own soul firs'."

"How would he do that?" Yuffie snapped, slight tears hanging at the corners of her eyes. "By killing himself?"

"By finding some answers," Vincent shook his head. Barrett's logic made sense to him. "Cloud would never abandon any one or thing—much less his own son—without damn good reason. And I think he knows it might get too dangerous for the baby if he took him along."

"But, to leave him all alone—" Yuffie continued to protest.

"He asked us to take care of Caleb," Cid caught on to the idea. "He trusts us with his son's life."

"The least I can do for both him and Tifa is to honor that request," Nanaki nodded his angular head.

"…I wouldn't be able to stay still either," Yuffie sighed and shook her head. Vincent took her hand and pulled her close, letting her lean against him.

"He went to find answers," he repeated himself, reassuring everyone as he said it, even himself. "And when he does find them, he'll come back."

Inside the two story house, baby Caleb rolled onto his stomach and buried his small face into the mattress, his chubby hands clutching the sheets as he whimpered slightly in his sleep, fresh, hot tears springing into his eyes.


	6. Promise at the Well

_**Chapter 6**_

It was an ocean. A deep, blue, glittering ocean, with beings of ethereal light swimming through its arms. One hand outstretched and the other behind his head, Caleb Strife lay on the cold, old wood of the city well, staring up at the sky. His blond bangs feathered across his brow, casting hard shadows across his amber eyes. His face, however, appeared very soft and round in the moonlight, and his lithe body represented that of some type of unearthly creature of perfection. He's alone tonight. Tonight, of all the nights. One orange eye shifted to the large round clock near the well at the center of town.

Five minutes.

His hand dropped to his chest as he returned his gaze to the heavens. He tried to make out his parent's faces in the stars, but he couldn't remember what they had sounded like, much less how they looked—he had been entirely too young. He liked to hope they were up there, watching him.

Four minutes.

He sighed and flicked his hair out of his face. Another birthday, alone. And his sixteenth, no less. Well, of course there was Barrett and Marlene, his adopted family. They took care of him and loved him like one of their own, and he liked that, and greatly appreciated it, but still. Sometimes, it just wasn't right. It seemed that way to him, anyway.

Three minutes.

His uncles, Cid and Vincent, were never here either. It was too far a trek for two aging men to make, from NeoMidgar, here to Nibelheim, and back again. Cid had once told him he had owned an airship, but had sold it when he obtained his current job as an engineer and research scientist for the construction and evolution of NeoMidgar. He said it was all to help the survivors of Meteor—the catastrophe that almost destroyed their entire planet nearly twenty years previous.

Two minutes.

Vincent and his wife, Yuffie—he still could not understand how those two got along at all—were materia dealers: the rare orbs were either traded in or bought at an extremely high sum from their owners. There was almost no more materia left in the world now.

One minute.

Nanaki was currently traveling the world and disposing of the creatures that attacked the roads and towns, keeping the survivors of the Meteor Crisis safe from one more obstacle they did not need in the stages of recovery. Even after sixteen years, they were still recovering. Caleb briefly wondered what everything had been like before it had happened. He never asked, though. And his guardian had even let Caleb accompany him on one or two of these missions, on which he found he was naturally gifted with the strength to wield a broadsword, and exceptional hand to hand combat skills.

The chimes from the town clock started, ringing like small silver bells that matched the fragile beauty of the midnight. He was finally sixteen.

"Happy birthday."

He sat up and glanced around. A woman around his age stood below him, one hand on the wooden rungs of the well's ladder. Her hair was a long, thick brown curtain, and her eyes flashed a startling blue within the shadows she stood in as she stared up at him.

"Angel."

Wordlessly, she ascended the ladder, pulling herself up onto the well next to him. Se let her legs hang over the edge of the platform, swinging them slowly as she looked over at him.

"You haven't called me that in a long time," she said.

"I haven't talked to you in a long time," he reminded her.

"You're sixteen now, aren't you?" she asked.

"Yeah," he responded, returning his gaze to the sky. "I'm leaving for NeoMidgar the day after tomorrow."

Her legs stopped their rhythm: "Are you going to go work for your uncle?"

"I was thinking of becoming a mercenary."

"Why such an odd job?"

"That's why: an odd job. I'm nod adverse enough in anything to focus, so, I'll just become a jack of all trades."

"Do you think you'll be able to find many jobs?"

"There's plenty of things that need to be done that no one wants to do."

"Why did you wait? All the boys our age left already."

"Something kept me here, I guess," Caleb looked at her from the corner of one bright orange eye.

She smiled to herself slightly: "You're lucky. I'm doomed to stay in this small town forever."

"What's wrong with a small town?" he asked and she shook her head.

"Nothing," she shrugged. "I just want to have one adventure before I settle down."

"Sounds dangerous."

"Danger is exciting."

"No, danger is dangerous," he grinned at her.

She shoved him playfully. "You dork."

"Can you blame me for not wanting you in any danger?"

"Why would you care? You'll be off in the city, making money and a name for yourself; you're leaving."

She sounded sad. Caleb wanted to put an arm around her, but kept his distance. Kali Evangelline was known for being aggressive with her personal space—it took two over-bearing ex-boyfriends to get that point across. She had pulled her hair over one shoulder and was twisting the ends together; it was a nervous habit of hers. He knew all of her nervous habits by heart. They had been best friends once. Before…

His eyes quickly picked out the dual scars on her back. The were stark white against her tanned skin; a harsh slap of a reminder. He winced. He had caused those. Back when they were a little younger, when they were inseparable, when they knew how to cause nothing but trouble. At his request, they had followed Barrett and Marlene into the mountains one evening. They made this trip once every year, and returned rather quickly, so it couldn't have been too far away, he reasoned. They trailed them through the valley and up the mountain face, where Angel slipped and fell. Caleb could only sit with her and watch her bleed, screaming for help, until one of the townspeople came to answer his cries. They rushed her back to town, where she stayed unconscious for three days. Caleb received a thorough scolding, and he knew he deserved it. Even after she fully recovered, he blamed himself; he thought he was a danger to her, his best, closest friend. In order to spare her anymore pain, he began to distance himself from her, always making excuses not to see her, and acting cold when they were together. He didn't want to be. He hated seeing her face fall, her sky blue eyes fill with tears. So, he just stopped seeing her. That was when they were twelve. Now, here they were on the old well, speaking as if nothing had changed between them in the past four years.

"I'm sorry," he said, and meant in every way possible: for leaving, for the accident, for his behavior toward her. She looked a bit confused, and she nibbled thoughtfully on her bottom lip.

"You're sorry?"

"For everything."

"Cale…" she sighed, and he felt himself shiver. She was the only one to ever call him Cale, as he was the only one allowed to call her Angel. "For the longest time, I thought you hated me. And I couldn't understand why. I started to think that you were pulling away because of the accident—because I was weak."

"No!" he turned to face her fully. "No, that's not it! It's about that, yeah, but—"

"Do you hate me?" she looked at him fully, and there were the tears again. Tears he had caused. Silently, Caleb shook his head and lifted a finger to wipe them away gently. They sparkled as brilliantly as the stars above them.

"I could never hate you."

She smiled, her face illuminated by the moonlight and so very beautiful: "I'm glad you don't hate me."

"I'm still sorry." He let his hand linger on her face, touching the curve of one cheek gently. "I'm sorry I acted the way I did, and I'm sorry I can't be around to protect you."

"Then let's make a promise," she touched the back of his hand lightly. "Come save me."

"What?" he half-laughed.

"Promise me, Cale. When you're a famous mercenary, and I'm ever in trouble, you'll come save me."

"_If you get really famous, and I'm ever in a bind… You come save me, all right?"_

"_What?"_

"How will I know?" he asked her. She shook her head and squeezed his hand tightly. The skin she was touching began to tingle, to burn. Caleb could only stare into her eyes as something faint and foreign washed over him.

"You'll know," she said, giving him a small, gentle half-smile he remembered from his childhood. "Whenever I'm in trouble, my hero will come rescue me, right?"

"_Whenever I'm in trouble, my hero will come and rescue me. I want to at least experience that once."_

"_What?"_

"Angel," he started.

"You're leaving, and I might not ever see you again," she cut him off before he could get his argument out. "If we make this promise, you have to come back and check on me, at least that."

"_Come on! Promise me!"_

"_All right… I promise."_

He grinned. She smiled back. "All right," he nodded his head. "All right, I promise."

At his words, a small shot across the dome of the sky, as if sealing their pact.


	7. Crimson Tears

_**Chapter 7**_

Caleb Strife killed the engine of his motorcycle, letting the blackness and silence surround him. He was in the canyon, still another day's travel from his hometown, and had to cross a river as well. Thank god for his uncle and road construction. Caleb took off his helmet, the blond spikes kicking up and ruffling in the late-night breeze. He lifted his head and looked for the lights of his guardian's village. Off to his right hand side, the fire from Cosmo Candle illuminated the rocky, rust-colored walls of the canyon. He faintly made out the sound of rhythmic drums beating underneath the howl of the winds, and smiled. It was an odd sensation—he hadn't done that in two years; since the night he left Nibelheim, and Angel.

_Angel…_ He wondered how she was. He wondered if she knew he was a mercenary now. Caleb pushed the thought from his mind. Even though he had indeed become a mercenary for hire, his reputation was not as grand as he'd hoped. And that was disappointing. He had done a variety of jobs over the past few years, anything and everything with a reasonable price, no matter the client. He did physical labor, he did errands, and he did dirty work. Lots of dirty work. A lot of people hated, and more still held grudges. It was a violent world now, Caleb had discovered. Perhaps it had always been that way, but he highly doubted it.

None of that mattered now, anyhow. The prospect of an actual bed to sleep in made him happy in a primitive way, and he was exhausted to the point of simplicity. Food and bed: all was right in the world. He started pushing his bike toward the vicinity of Cosmo Canyon, letting his ears guide him where his eyes failed in the total blackness. The drums were steady and full, like the pulse of the planet beneath him. The rhythm blanketed him in peace, and he felt his eyes growing heavy and his gait slow. He would be extremely lucky if he made it to the town tonight.

The tranquility abruptly shattered as someone screamed. The noise tore through the stillness of the valley, reverberating off the cliff faces and shocking Caleb out of his half-doze. He raised his eyes to the town, but couldn't make anything out. All he knew was that the drums had silenced. He vaulted onto the seat of his black motorcycle, dropping his helmet in his haste; it didn't matter. As he landed, his foot kicked the starter and his engine roared to life. Barely letting himself settle in, he twisted the throttle hard and took off for Cosmo Canyon. The bike roared in the night, echoing against the walls like the cry of some huge, angry monster. Not even bothering to get off, Caleb gunned the bike and raced up the stone steps to the city entrance and braked by the twin torches, looking up.

Fire blazed across the town square and licked hungrily at the rock walls, trying to find fuel to feed itself. People were running everywhere, screaming, being chased by creatures with wicked claws and disgustingly-long feelers and spears and spikes and nasty yellowed fangs. Only a few Canyon villagers were fighting back, and among them, was his guardian.

"Nanaki!" he screamed over the desperate cries and hungry growls. The red-orange creature turned its angular head to look to him with its one good yellow eye.

"Caleb!" he yipped urgently, whirling as an ugly monster with green slime coating its scales attacked him. Caleb threw the bike into motion, yanking out the broadsword he had clipped to his back. With one swift swing, he decapitated the creature, braking again in front of Nanaki.

"What's going on here?" he raised an eyebrow. His friend scoffed and turned to look at his village.

"Just like your father." Caleb's eyes widened slightly. "The monsters broke through the sealed entrance and began to pour in. There's no end to them."

"Sounds like you need help."

Nanaki glanced back at him: "Don't tell me I have to pay you."

Caleb lowered the kickstand and killed his engine, dismounting the bike. "Free room and food will do."

The creature rolled his unscarred eye and took off, up the steps leading further into the city. Caleb quickly followed, glancing around at the bodies and the destruction. _What in the hell caused this?_ More people ran past, some with weapons, some with belongings. They were starting to flee Cosmo Canyon. The two rushed up the steps leading to the branch off area where the entrance to the cave was located. The metal door was ripped wide open by what appeared to be huge teeth. Pieces of it lay strewn across the floor, amongst dead bodies of the first unsuspecting villagers. Caleb knew he didn't have time to mourn; Nanaki was already moving down into the chamber that would lead them to the Cave of the Gi. He followed and the darkness quickly enveloped them both. They moved as fast as their eyes adjusted to the mako-infested walls, climbing slowly downward. As they descended farther, howls and screams and growls began to reach up toward them. Caleb glanced over at Nanaki, who was looking down into the black abyss with a thoughtful expression.

"Why are they suddenly coming out in such extreme numbers? It doesn't make any sense. It reminds me of that time…"

Caleb noted the drop-off: "The time…"

He saw the yellow orb sweep over to him in the darkness, glowing eerily, like a dying flame. "The time your mother died," he finished. Caleb was taken aback—they had never, ever discussed his mother's death, only how she had lived, what kind of person she was.

"How…did she die?" he prompted after a heavy pause. His attention was totally focused on the red-orange animal; the sounds coming from below didn't matter, and neither did the fact a few monsters were scaling the walls towards them. Nanaki shifted uncomfortably—this was not the place to stop and hold a discussion—and avoided the young man's gaze.

"Seventeen years ago, just after your first birthday, a flood of monsters escaped the old mako reactor up on Mt. Nibel, and headed for the town. Barrett had you and Marlene hidden away, and your mother went to go find you two and take you back to the safety of the town. She was attacked by a dragon, and died protecting you."

His head spun. There was a roaring sound in his ears, steadily growing louder and louder. His mother… it was his fault. Her friends pain, his father's disappearance, everything was his fault; everything was wrong because she had died just to save him. He felt his hands convulsively clench into fists and the roaring grew louder still, driving him mad, insane, angry. So very angry.

"It's all my fault," he choked out as his breathing escalated to ragged gasps. The enemies kept climbing, their hungry eyes fixed on him and his guardian. "Mother died because of me. Father left me behind… He couldn't stand to look at the son who caused his wife's death."

"Caleb—" Nanaki started. The blond man screamed. Everything, including his companion, leapt away from him, staring in shock. He screamed again, his fists shaking with rage and his entire body trembling with sorrow and helplessness.

"MOTHER!" he threw his head back and yelled into the blackness. His cry bounced wildly against the narrow tunnel walls and made the creatures flinch. "MOTHER! _MOTHER!_" Like a wildfire, a bright flare of energy suddenly licked out of his body and shot down into the montage of enemies below. Their howls added to his own as they disintegrated into a mass of swirling power that pushed itself through the entire Gi Cavern, obliterating everything in its wake. Nanaki could only gape in disbelief as Caleb lowered his head, tears the color of scarlet pouring from his orange eyes, and he unclenched his fists. His nails had cut deeply into the flesh, and rivulets of blood trickled through his fingers and along his knuckles, running slightly down along his hand. He had busted the leather gloves he wore. "Mother…" He let out one final sobbing whimper and collapsed. His friend managed to catch him before he struck the stone ground. Shifting him onto his broad back, Nanaki quickly bounded up the stone platforms, back to Cosmo Canyon. He didn't know what to say, what to think. What had that power been?

Even the monsters out in the village had been burned into nothingness, and the survivors were huddled together in a tight circle around the Candle. Nanaki descended to them, and that was the last thing Caleb remembered. He fell into unconsciousness while eyes still leaked crimson tears.


	8. Debate

_**Chapter 8**_

"How long has he been out?"

"About seven days now, I think."

"Any sign of him waking up?"

"Well, he's still breathing; that's a plus."

"Seriously: how'd he wind up like this?"

"I told him about Tifa."

"How she—"

"And it made him obliterate everything? All those monsters?"

"Every last one."

"Well, at least the survivors made it here alright."

Caleb opened his eyes. The people around his bed reacted instantly.

"Caleb!" his aunt Yuffie cried, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Good 'te see yeh okay," Barrett clapped him on the shoulder.

"You had us worried!" Marlene added, her arms coming around him as well.

"Give him room to breathe ladies, sheesh!" Cid rolled his eyes. "We don't need him dying of asphyxiation after he just recovered."

"Comatose for a week and the women still flock to him," Vincent shook his head. "He's his father's son, all right."

"Where am I?" Caleb gently touched both Yuffie and Marlene's hair, looking around at all his friends and guardians.

"Nanaki brought you back to Nibelheim," Yuffie answered him, turning to smile at the aforementioned creature. He shook his angular head, looking up at Caleb.

"I didn't know what else to do—you scared me half to death with what you did."

"What… did I do?" he blinked. The animal stared at him.

"You don't remember?" Caleb shook his head and Nanaki winced: "We were in the Cave of the Gi, and suddenly, this white light came out of your body and killed everything."

"Everything?" he paled.

"Just the monsters," Marlene added abruptly. "The townspeople are safe, and they're taking refuge here for now."

Caleb put a hand to his head and closed his eyes, trying to recall what Nanaki had said. All he could remember was feeling guilty, feeling helpless and alone and angry. It was something about his parents.

"About my parents…" he mumbled, and caught the look they all exchanged over his head. "It was something about them, wasn't it? I can't remember—please, tell me."

"Don' think yeh're ready fer it jus' yet," Barrett shook his head, his hand still on the younger man's shoulder and squeezing tightly.

"I want to know," he demanded softly.

"After what happened, maybe it's not the best time to tell you," Cid answered back gravely, scratching the beard stubble on his chin and jawline. Caleb's eyes narrowed, and Yuffie quickly put her hands up.

"Caleb, sweetheart," she said gently, "we're afraid if we tell you, you may hurt yourself. Nanaki said you were crying blood."

Caleb lost his harsh expression, and it turned to one of confusion. He had never heard of someone crying blood before. It didn't sound like an everyday occurrence, so he understood why they were hesitant to tell him, but still—

"Were mom and dad's deaths my fault?"

They looked stricken. "Of course not, honey," Yuffie took one of his hands and held it reassuringly. "You were only a little baby when it happened, and it was a freak accident—it was no one's fault."

"'Sides," Barrett spoke up gruffly, as if he had a lump in his throat all of a sudden. "Methinks yer pop'd ne'er die that eas'ly. He's still out there, searchin'."

"Searching?"

"Your dad had a lot of unanswered questions when your mom passed away," Cid licked his lips, trying to word it properly. "He went to find out why she died the way she did."

"How…" Caleb tried, then shook his head—they weren't going to tell him anything else. "That was right after mom died, wasn't it? So, he's been gone seventeen years now." Hesitantly, they all nodded. He slipped his legs out of the bed and tried to stand. Vincent—who had been silent for this entire conversation—reached out to steady him. Caleb looked at him gratefully and started to limp out of the room. "I'm going to see Kali." He left. They looked after him.

"We should have told him," the black-haired man spoke up.

"We don't know what that was," Nanaki said evenly, his eye still on the way Caleb had left. "Whatever happened could have endangered him. We won't tell him until we've figured out what that light was."

"Only you saw it—that's not leaving us with much," Cid retorted, moving the hand from his face to his hair, pushing the gray-blond strands back.

"Maybe it's a limit break?" Yuffie offered optimistically. "An odd one, yes, but…" her eyes moved to her husband. He waved off her apologetic glance.

"I know I'm a freak; move on."

"S'possible," Barrett sat down on the now-empty bed, leaning his elbows against his knees.

"He has the right to know what happened to his mother and father," Vincent argued. "Not telling him is a disrespect to both Cloud and Tifa."

"But Cloud told us to take care of him," Nanaki shot back. "If we kill him with this information, wouldn't that be disrespecting Cloud's wish?"

"What about Caleb's feelings?" Marlene voiced. They all turned to look at her. She blushed from beside her father, one hand resting on his artificial arm. "I mean, yes, Uncle Cloud asked you all to take care of him, but doesn't he have the right to make the decision whether or not he wants to know? If he wants to take that risk? I know that I wanted Papa to tell me about my real parents," she looked lovingly at her adoptive father. "And he told me the truth, because that's what I wanted."

"Yes, but, you knowing the truth didn't cause this giant pillar of light to kill everything in a twenty mile radius," Nanaki said and instantly looked sorry.

"We should tell him," Vincent pushed.

"Well, how?" Yuffie sighed, running both of her hands back through her lengthening black hair. "We don't need him going insane or destroying everything here."

"It didn't affect the people, or the village itself…" Nanaki admitted.

"So, it only targets enemies; Yuffie's limit break theory could be right," Cid brightened.

"Still, how do we let him know without…evoking that again?" the red-orange animal asked.

"…very carefully," Yuffie bit her lip.


	9. At the Grave

_**Chapter 9**_

He was walking and he didn't know where he was headed. His hands were in his pockets and his head was down, and he let his feet take him wherever they pleased. He didn't know how long he had been at this either. His thoughts were mad, almost feverish, and he could swear he was hallucinating. Somewhere on the path before, he had seen this little girl in a blue dress walking up ahead of him. When he had approached her, she had vanished. She had been solid, present, no hint of an illusion, and it hurt his brain when he tried to contemplate it. He assumed it was the after-effects of the unconscious state he had been in for quite some time. But, he had continued to catch glances and snippets of her moving ahead of him, her orange eyes full of tears and her cheeks flaming red and her stride quick and determined, as if she could make it through the mountains unscathed. Once or twice, he had debated on running after her, but he had the feeling that wouldn't matter—he would never catch up; she was meant to be ahead of him.

It was at the bridge that things got complicated. Instead of the little girl in the blue dress, he began to see a teenage girl—not much younger than him—in a brown hat and matching skirt and boots, and a white shirt. She strode confidently, much like the little girl in blue had, only, it was as if she knew where she was headed as opposed to wandering aimlessly, as the other apparition had seemed to do. Perhaps… it was the same girl? Only older now. Yes, that seemed to make sense: they had the same long, luxurious brown hair and the same expressive amber eyes. He briefly raised a hand to brush the bangs from his own unusually-colored orbs; he was the only person he knew of practically anywhere that had this strange eye color.

The young woman stopped on the bridge and turned back as if to check on him… no, someone following her. He couldn't see that person, however. She nodded her head—perhaps in approval of the invisible party's progress—and turned back to ascend the bridge. He was on it as well, standing just behind her, just within arm's reach. Impulsively, he reached out to touch her arm. The weathered ropes of the bridge snapped with his weight. Caleb's stomach lurched, and he felt himself falling. His eyes resisted the urge to look down and measure the drop below; they scanned the air around him for any sign that the girl had fallen with him. He was alone.

As he tumbled down the ravine, he had a sudden sensation of weightlessness. Caleb felt himself coming out of the plunge and simply start to drift, as if he had suddenly sprouted wings. He looked over his shoulder to check. A woman stared back down at him, her face radiant, her eyes sparkling, her mouth closed in a soft smile. He stared—she was absolutely beautiful. She was clothed in a simple white top, brown suspenders, and black skirt. Her hair was long, almost to her knees, and it flowed like a shimmering curtain of water. Her eyes were amber. Just like his. And she was holding onto him tightly, protectively, and he felt warm and safe in her arms. They landed on a slight overhang protruding from the mountain's face. He turned to her fully and opened his mouth to speak. She smiled again and disappeared.

Caleb straightened, his eyes scanning the area around him. He was somewhere he'd never been before. In fact, he was fairly certain that his guardians avoided this place like the plague. Taking a few steps forward, he saw the hidden entrance of a cave tucked away behind a bend in the pass and slightly above his current level. Bouncing up and down a few times to stretch his limbs, Caleb jumped up, his hands catching the side of the overhang and he flipped onto the upper ledge effortlessly. Keeping one hand to the rock wall, he made his way to the unknown cave and ducked into the cool, dark opening.

Passing through was like walking into another world: he was nearly knocked flat by the brilliant, pulsing glow of the mako-saturated walls. The greenish-purple tinge was almost as deafening as it was blinding—the cave positively hummed with life energy and the croons of the planet's song, its pulse. Trying not to be overcome by the unrestrained power, Caleb focused his senses: where was it all coming from? His eyes came to rest on a negative point in the flow of energy. A dark spill on the floor and partially on the wall, no bigger than the dimensions of a human. It gave him a chill, and looking at it made him feel small and helpless. He quickly tore his eyes away, not understanding the emotions ripping through him, and his gaze landed on the power spot.

It was a sword. A broadsword, stuck deep in the rock floor. The inner blade had eight slots and a shining orb sat within each, pulsating with their own individual rhythms. Half of them were deep, crystal green. The other four were each a different color: red, like a blazing fire; blue, resembling the deep evening sky; yellow, the color of the summer sun; white, as fresh as new-fallen snow. He couldn't tell from his current viewpoint, but it looked like the sword had a second blade made out of crystal. It had somehow merged (or maybe it morphed itself) into the rock and created a solid, translucent wall. The area behind the sword was fuzzy beyond the massive chunk of crystal, but he could almost swear there was a secondary chamber behind it. Had the sword been put there to seal the entrance? What was so important that it had to be protected by an extravagant blade, eight materias, and hidden deep within the mountain? He placed one foot forward, wanting to approach the weapon and not wanting to die a horribly painful death.

"Two years, and you can't come to say hello?"

Caleb spun around.

"Angel…" he whispered.

The woman—yes, now she was a woman—stood back a ways, her head tilted slightly to one side and her flowing brown locks, longer than he remembered, spilling over one shoulder. Her extraordinary blue eyes scanned his profile, and Caleb couldn't help but blush under the intensity of her gaze. Their stares finally met.

"Welcome back," she said.

"I'm sorry," he replied.

"I know."

"Why are you here?"

"I followed you. You're not very observant."

"I was preoccupied. How did you get down here?"

"I jumped."

"You jumped," he repeated.

She nodded: "I jumped."

"You're insane."

"I missed you too."

She was standing beside him now. Automatically, both their gazes moved to the hilt of the broadsword stuck in the rock and crystal.

"Do you know what's here?" he asked her.

"I was going to ask you that question," the corner of her mouth turned up in a slight smile. He felt his heart race, just as it did every time she smiled, all those years in the past.

"I've never been here before," he told her, his eyes roving along the features of her face, not caring that she noticed.

"Neither have I; I'm surprised you found it," she studied the sword again. "Are you going to try to pull it out?"

"That's not exactly going to be the easiest thing in the world," he stated the obvious.

"I bet you could do it," she said.

"Maybe it wasn't meant to be touched."

"Maybe it's waiting to be taken by the right person."

They glanced at one another.

"I don't know what's going to happen."

"Neither do I."

"Whatever does happen, will you come with me?"

"Leave Nibelheim?"

"You said you wanted a grand adventure before you settled down."

"Do you see me settling down anytime soon?"

"Marry me."

"Why?"

"Why do two people usually get married?"

"Benefits," she grinned. He nudged her, but grinned back.

"So, how about it?" he lifted an eyebrow.

"I don't know. I've already got my sights set on this one guy…" she replied innocently.

"Is he worth it?"

"More than anything."

"Saying you love me would be more direct."

"Who wants to be direct? I love to keep you guessing—that's what I love."

He kissed her. She moaned softly and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. At the same time, he embraced her and pulled her body tight against his, running a hand through her soft brown hair.

She placed a hand on either side of his face and pulled away slowly, looking up into his eyes: "Saying you love me would have been easier."

"Who wants anything to be easy? I love harassing you—that's what I love."

"Touché."

"So, are you going to marry me?" he asked again.

"I'll think about it," she smiled.

They turned back to the sword.

"I'll try," he said.

She took his hand: "You can do it, Cale."

He wrapped his hand around the long handle and pulled. The Ultima Weapon slid out of its place effortlessly. The cave's glow abruptly faded. They looked at each other.

"Let's go, Angel," he led her into the smaller cave.


	10. Quest for Memories

_**Chapter 10**_

It was as bright as the previous cave had been before Caleb had drawn the sword. The walls were high and the ceiling barely visible beyond the thick branches of the trees that grew out of the walls and floor and made a tangled brown canopy overhead. The two moved forward slowly, still holding onto each other as they picked their way cautiously around exposed roots and made their way to the back of the cavern, where the pulsating light was emanating from. Where the line of unusual trees dropped off, a bed of crystallized rock sprawled out before them and surrounded an enormous, white-barked tree. Caleb released Angel's hand and took several steps forward on his own, his eyes squinting as the light from the huge tree intensified. His hand reached out slowly to touch its colorless bark.

"_It's very pretty, Caleb. See that? It's just like the big trees where the Flower Lady lives. Have you met her? She's really nice and pretty and her flowers always smell good."_

"I've been here before…" he murmured, his hand stopping no more than an inch from the oddly-colored tree.

"What?" Angel hung back, watching him with worried eyes. He licked his lips, his fingers twitching slightly. A high-pitched buzzing noise filled his ears and he felt his head turning downward of its own accord. He was looking down at the new weapon, specifically, at the round glass orbs located in each of the eight holes within the inner blade. They hummed faintly, and the buzzing in his head intensified. The beginnings of a headache gnawed at his brain but he forced it aside, looking up to the crystal clear leaves on its elongated branches, then down again at the materia, and up once more. They were resonating; the leaves slowly changing colors from blue to green to yellow to red. They stopped at the last color, the fire-like glow filling the cave with warm light. More in his mind than with his ears, Caleb heard a creature begin to shriek, the sound growing louder and louder as the buzzing noise escalated quickly, the red glow reflecting in his eyes and filling him with a burning sensation to match the incessant humming. His skin tingled again, he felt tears come into his eyes and course down his cheeks and distantly, he heard Angel gasp and call his name. Nothing was coherent over the buzzing, the roaring sound now, filling him as the invisible fire was pouring into him. He felt the sword slip from his fingers and heard the glass-like _clink_ as its crystal lining struck the brilliant red pool surrounding the tree. It echoed maddeningly in his head and his hands came to either side, pressing against his temples, trying to suppress the headache, the buzzing/roaring, the fire—it was consuming him, he was losing himself in the rush. He fell to his knees. Angel shrieked something. His body finally gave out and he collapsed onto his side, his eyes still wide open and gushing hot, thick tears, but blank and expressionless. He fell.

"_Hi, baby. Did you have a bad dream?" _She_ reached down and lightly scooped him up into her arms. "Hmm? Did you have a scary nightmare? It's okay, mama's here now." A small, secretive smile. "That's my boy. Just like your daddy—You're going to be just like him, you know. Tall, strong, and so very handsome. So perfect. That's what my baby's going to be. Perfect."_

"_It's very pretty, Caleb," she told him, picking him up clumsily and bringing him over to the glowing white-barked sapling. "See that? It's just like the big trees where the Flower Lady lives. Have you met her? She's really nice and pretty and her flowers always smell good."_

_The dragon lunged forward, snapping its jaws at them. _She_ threw herself over the little girl and clutched him close. The teeth found _her_ and _she_ screamed soundlessly, _her_ hair cascading over _her_ back and shoulders as blood flew into the air and spattered onto the black-purple snout. _She_ ran, her body filling with power _she_ had kept untouched for two years._ She_ drew a fist back, tightening _her_ arm around him._

"_My son," _she_ whispered sweetly, closing her eyes, "Caleb. I know you're going to be such a strong, handsome man." His hands touched _her_ hair and a smile flickered across _her_ face. "Such a good boy. I love you, Caleb. I love you more than anything else in this world, or the next." His hands stroked his mother's hair. _Her_ hand slipped from _his_ face and struck the floor. He turned his face to his mother's, one pudgy hand reaching down and touching one still eyelid. He closed his eyes and lowered himself to _her_ chest, pressing one small ear to the place over _her_ ceased heartbeat. He wailed and huge tears leaked from his eyes._

"Mama…" Caleb trembled. Angel knelt beside him and gripped his shoulders, crying out as a sharp red light forced her back, away from him.

_They exited the town limits and started back up through the valley, heading for the base of Mt. Nibel: _He_ carrying _her_, leading the way; Barrett and Cid following at a slight distance; Vincent and Yuffie behind them; Nanaki bringing up the rear. They hiked up the narrow mountain pass, the peaks of the smaller mountains falling beneath them as they climbed, their breaths heaving as the air thinned, but no one cared._

_Barrett came forward first. He got to his knees and patted _her_ hair and cupped a large hand to _her_ small, round face and kissing _her_ forehead. Cid passed him on the way back, and crouched beside the woman's body, reaching over and laying one of his hands on _her_ own. He opened his mouth to say something, shook his head and stood. Yuffie stumbled forward, dropping to her knees beside her friend and embraced _her_. Her shoulders began to shake with uncontrolled sobs as she silently began to cry and tried to pull away, but physically could not move. Vincent came to her side, reaching down and touching a slight hand to the woman's cheek, running his long fingers along the curve of _her_ face. Nanaki limped forward and began to lick every inch of _her_ face, nuzzling his snout into _her_ hair and snuffling, his whimpers barely audible to anyone's ears but _hersHe_ took a step forward and they left without being told. They knew better._

He_ collapsed onto _her his_ arms coming tight around _her_ waist and _his_ face buried into _her_ lap. "**TIFA!**" _he_ screamed, gasping in a thick, sharp breath and let it out in a burst of incoherent hiccups. _His_ eyes squeezed shut and _he_ shrieked: "**TIFA!**" _He_ let _his_ lips traverse over _her_ chest, neck, shoulders, and face, still crying; pitiful, heart-wrenching whimpers spilling uncontained from _his_ chest. _His_ tears splashed onto _her_ cheeks and slipped down along the pale skin, and for an instant, it seemed as if _she_ were crying with _himHe_ stood in the center of the stone archway,_ his _look flickering to one of slight thought. Then_ he _turned and pulled the crystal-edged Ultima Weapon from the harness on_ his _back and stuck it deep into the earth. _He _slipped_ her _Restore materia into the first slot._

_Barrett placed his Contain materia into the second slot: _She as hard as rock an' cold as ice; get to know'er, an' she's as gen'le as the wind, and her smile warms you up like a fire.

_Yuffie dropped the Barrier materia into next opening: _Strong and dependable and never yielding… like a wall, protecting each and every one of us.

_Cid shoved his mastered Double Cut materia into the fourth opening:_ I hope angels can kick ass in heaven. Send some poor demons to hell in our place. We're not going for a while yet.

_Vincent came up and Ultima found its place just below the yellow orb:_ Like a river of energy, you spill into each of our lives and force back the darkness. I owe everything to you and your husband.

_Nanaki came forward, the Phoenix summon materia glowing fire-red and gave the orb to the sword: _From the ashes of disaster, you always birthed new hope. Thank you, and fly to heaven on phoenix wings.

His_ materia sat in _his_ hand, a dull blue. _He_ lifted it to the second-to-last hole and let it lock in, closing _his_ eyes at the sound of finality: _Tifa…

_They watched the sword turn colors—green, yellow, red, blue, and then white again. A magical wall emanated from the sword and sealed up the entrance to this ever-sacred place. Still unspeaking, they left the cave and started for home. No one saw the eighth and final materia slot glimmer as a greenish-white orb manifested itself into the blade. The magical wall became solid crystal, and inside the resting place of the late Tifa Lockheart, the crystal tree began to grow._

He awoke. Her hand was on his head, stroking soothingly, just like his mother's had. Caleb sat up, and Angel gasped, turning fully to him and taking his face in both of her hands.

"Cale, are you alright? What happened to you? You were looking at the tree, and you just fell over. I tried to wake you, but this red light stopped me," she explained in a rush. He took her hands in his and leaned forward, pressing their lips together tightly. His tongue plunged into her mouth, tasting her, tasting salt; she had been crying. He kissed her fiercely, his hands moving to her back and pulling her close. She made a sound against him, something like surprise, but she gave into him and returned the kiss. He overcame her, he drowned her in his sudden lust for life—he craved it as much as he longed for her. The happiness, the sorrow, the pain, the suffering, all of it: he wanted it just as his parents had wanted it. They parted, Angel's cheeks as red as her lips, and just looking at them made her want to kiss her again, to devour her entire essence into him, make them one being.

"I saw my parents," he gasped. She looked at him strangely.

"How? You were passed out on the floor.." she gestured slightly.

"A vision, a memory, I don't know," he shook his head. "My mom was talking to me, and I saw how she died, and I saw myself as a baby, and I saw my father, the funeral, all my parent's friends…" He pulled in a deep breath to calm himself. "It was here; this is the place they buried her."

"Your mother?" Angel looked thoroughly confused. He nodded. "You saw all of this?"

Another nod: "I know what the materias are too." He glanced about for his sword and saw it leaning against the rock wall—Angel had somehow managed to drag him away from the towering white tree and to one side of the cavern. The enchanting leaves had returned to their natural clear crystal form. He picked up the blade and held it between them, pointing as he spoke. "It was my fathers—the Ultima Weapon: the four green ones are Restore, Contain, Barrier, and Ultima, in that order; the yellow one in between is Double Cut, a command materia; the red can summon a Phoenix; the blue is a supportive materia called Final Attack."

"You missed one," she pointed to the last orb as it shimmered white in its slot.

He felt his face fall. "I don't know what that one is, actually…"

"What are you going to do with all of this now?" she asked him. He sat back, a thoughtful look on his round face, which he now knew he got from his mother. Nanaki had said, from what he recalled, that the attack on Cosmo Canyon was much like something that had happened before. Maybe monsters had swarmed out of the destroyed reactor up near the peak of the mountain, and his parents and their friends had gone to stop it. The more he considered it, the truer it sounded, until he was positively convinced that's what had happened. His mother had come to save him and the young girl—Marlene?—from the mountain, and had met her death protecting them. His father had given her a proper burial, had even sealed up the cavern entrance, but where had he gone? Was he still alive somewhere?

"I want to go find my father."

Angel looked into his eyes and nodded. "You don't think your family will know where he's gone, do you?"

Caleb rose, shaking his head: "They're not my real family. They're my parent's friends. And I don't think they want to tell me. They think I may have a bad reaction to the news."

"Like crying blood?" He whirled to face her. She stood behind him with her arms clasped tightly together before her. "That's what you were doing as you collapsed—blood just poured from your eyes, and I thought you were… I thought you had…"

She was trembling. He re-attached the broadsword to the clip on his back and moved forward, his arms coming around her. Angel whimpered, pressing her lips together as she kept her eyes down, her body rigid as he embraced her.

"I'm not going to die," he assured her softly, one hand pressing to the back of her head. His fingers slipped into her hair as she lay her forehead against his shoulder and he lay his chin atop her head, stroking the silken strands soothingly. "I have to live a long, long life with the woman I love, and I'm scheduled to die as an old man asleep in my bed."

"That's a boring way to die," she choked, her hands slipping around his waist and clutching at him.

He chuckled softly: "That's the way you want me to die."

"I'll go," she finally turned her eyes up to his. "I'll follow you anywhere, Cale. For as long as it takes, as long as I'm with you."

He nodded, a slight smile forming on his lips. Eventually, she began to smile too.

"We'll go look for my father," Caleb kissed the top of her head, "and when we find him, I'm sure he'd love to become yours too."

Angel took one of his hands in both of hers as they looked back at the huge white crystal tree: "I can't wait."

They left the cavern, then the cave. Behind them, a woman stood in the thick collection of white roots and crystal rocks, smiling as she watched the two walk away with glowing amber eyes.


	11. Shera

_**Chapter 11**_

"Has Caleb come home?" Marlene yawned, pausing at the base of the stairs. Barrett shook his head, looking extremely weary. The others looked exactly the same—sitting up, waiting for a sign of the blond.

"Maybe something's happened…?" Yuffie fretted, her fingernails in her mouth.

"Maybe he's with his girlfriend," Cid grinned, referring to Kali Evangelline, the next door neighbor. Marlene giggled, heading up the stairs to drop into bed.

"He'd ha' come 'n tole me," Barrett shook his head.

"Perhaps…he went to the mountain?" Nanaki said hesitantly.

"He may be starting to remember things on his own," Vincent looked out of the picture window to the night sky above Nibelheim. Everyone winced at his words.

"Wonderful," Cid rolled his eyes.

"We should go look for him," Yuffie pried her hands from her mouth long enough to say that, then returned to chewing on her nails.

"Now? Tonight?" Nanaki blinked his good eye.

"That's insane. Even if he tried to go anywhere, it's way too late to travel at ni—" Cid started to reason, then was cut off by the roar of a loud engine.

"Papa! Caleb's taking the motorcycle!" Marlene hollered from upstairs. They all ran to the window and looked for themselves. Caleb and Kali were on the bike Cid and Vincent had gone to retrieve from Cosmo Canyon, Caleb at the front and Kali sitting behind him, side-saddle, her arms around his waist. He kicked the motorcycle into first gear as they rushed for the door in some attempt to stop him. As the group burst from the house, Marlene rushing downstairs, half-dressed in her pajamas, Caleb and Kali roared off toward the mountain range. They watched the two disappear quickly around the bend in the path, leaving a trail of exhaust behind.

"Well, shit," Cid blinked.

"So much for not going anywhere," Vincent turned and went back into the house. The others could only stand there and stare in disbelief.

The two rode at a hard angle up the side of the mountain, completely bypassing the normal dirt path and cutting along the narrow valleys within the range. As the sun set, they passed back up onto the last leg of the dirt path which merged into the inter-continental highway. It, along with NeoMidgar and many other roads like it, spanned the length of the continent, and helped connect them to one another. Instead of boats and airships, people could use these highways to get from one town to the next—it was faster, and more convenient. Free, too. Angel, who had never left her hometown, stared at this new road in awe, her eyes following it as far as they could before losing it in the darkness covering the land.

"It's huge."

"It's one of the shorter ones, actually," Caleb informed her. "In the past two years, I've had to use them all. The longest runs from Mideel area to Wutai, but it's pleasant. It's way down south."

She looked up, her hair flying out behind them as they drove on. She uselessly tried tucking some of it behind her ear. "I can't see the stars."

"They're there," he assured.

"Are there going to be other things like this? Things that take away from nature until there's nothing natural at all?"

"Barrett and the others told me stories," he answered her outburst calmly. "About how the world was before Meteor, twenty years ago. The original Midgar was a horrible place to live. The land was dead and the machines ruled over everything. Plates were erected over the people on the ground, and they called the ground-property the Slums. Only the wealthy could live on the giant metal heaven above."

"That's horrible," her blue eyes threatened to release tears.

"I don't think people are going to make the same mistake twice. Meteor, in a sense, was kind of like their punishment for letting things get too out of hand." He made the turn off and suddenly stopped the bike just beneath the overhang so they were shrouded in total darkness, away from the lamplights. He looked up. So did she. The stars gazed back from the dark night sky reassuringly. Caleb leaned back, laying his head on her shoulder. She stroked the disheveled blond locks from his forehead. "We're a new generation, Angel. We're the ones who have to take care of the planet now. Even though these roads cut into the beauty of the earth's face, they were built to connect the people—built out of necessity. So now, people can visit other places and see things they never would have seen in their entire lives."

"A little for a lot?" Angel blinked.

"Exactly."

"Since when have you been so wise?" she teased. He sat up and grinned at her, releasing the kickstand and righting his idling bike, twisting the throttle and making it purr loudly in the stillness.

"I'm just trying to impress you," he answered, totally avoiding the question. She let him dodge it, wrapping her arms around his waist again and laughing as they shot off once more, toward the collection of houses around an abandoned launch pad. They disembarked, Caleb walking the motorcycle into the city limits, Angel following beside him. They parked it at the Inn and were about to step inside when a woman made a startled cry behind them and they heard the sound of something striking the floor. They turned back to look. A woman with glasses and brown hair tied back in a ponytail stared at them in shock, her mouth agape.

"Can we…help you?" Angel raised an eyebrow. The woman shook her head and stepped over her parcels—she had dropped quite a bit.

"Are you…" she attempted to find her voice. "Are you…Cloud? Cloud, is that you?"

"You know Cloud?" Caleb turned to fully face her. She got a good look at his face from the oil lamp on the wall of the Inn.

"You're…not Cloud. Are you his—"

"My name's Caleb Strife. This is my companion, Kali Evangelline."

"You _are_ his son!" the woman suddenly screeched and rushed forward, taking Caleb's face in her hands and staring avidly into his eyes. He could only flinch in shock.

"Um, who are you?" Angel called meekly from beside them. The woman suddenly blushed and let Caleb go, her hands clasping in front of her chest. She looked extremely embarrassed.

"I-I'm sorry," she shook her head. "You just… you look so much like your father, Caleb. I could have sworn he finally came back—"

"He passed through here?" Caleb grew excited.

"It was so many years ago, I barely remember him coming by at all," she shook her head. Angel had gone behind her and collected her things. Now she handed them back to the other woman, who smiled gratefully. "Thank you. And I'm sorry for jumping on you like that. From behind, you look exactly like your father, Caleb, and Kali, you look like his late wife." They blinked at one another. "I knew them both, although I only saw them a few times. The last time I saw Cloud, however, he looked horrible. I found out from Cid a week or so after he left that Tifa had died. I'm sorry," she added, bowing in Caleb's direction. He waved it off; apparently, she knew his uncle as well.

"You didn't kill her," he answered her apology and she looked up. "And I still don't know your name."

"Oh!" she looked abashed. "I'm so sorry!" She bowed again. "My name is Shera. I live here; I take care of Cid Highwind's house while he's away for the season."

"He's my uncle," Caleb offered.

"I know," Shera smiled. "He talks about you all the time. Please, come stay at the house tonight."

Caleb and Angel shrugged, and they walked with Shera to the house by the end of the way, just in front of the launching pad. _Go figure_, Caleb grinned to himself as he stowed his bike in the back yard. Inside, Angel tried to help Shera make tea, and the woman refused, insisting that she sit down and relax. They sat around the dining room table, talking about Caleb's parents as Shera knew them. Caleb was happy he was hearing another person telling him about his parents. But, something was nagging at him…

"Shera," he placed his empty mug on the table. He had been staring at it in deep thought for awhile as he held it clasped loosely in his hands. "My father… you said he passed through here several years back."

Shera looked thoughtful: "He said he was traveling to the City of the Ancients to find out about the surge of monster attacks that happened several years back. I don't know why, though, it's a very tranquil place where monsters usually don't turn up."

"City of the Ancients…?" Caleb repeated, and beside him, Angel gave a sudden, convulsive shudder. The others turned to her and she reddened slightly.

"I'm sorry, I must be… tired," she stood. "Shera, where's the bedroom?"

Caleb saw her face and rose as well. "We should get to bed. We need to start off very early tomorrow morning. And the others might be following by now."

"They don't know you're here?" Shera raised an eyebrow. The young couple shook their heads and she smiled. "I'll wake you before dawn. And I won't tell them you stopped here."

"Won't Uncle Cid get angry?" Caleb made a face. She waved it off, ushering them both to a small room down a short hall with a single bed.

"I'll handle him; I've been doing it for years," she pushed them inside. "I'm sorry it's cramped, but I don't think you two are averse to sharing a bed." She winked. "Goodnight."

She closed the door behind her. He waited until her footsteps were gone and turned to his companion. She was standing at the window, looking out but not seeing. She was thinking.

"Do you mind sharing a bed?" he called to her. She shook herself out of her thoughts and turned her head.

"Hm? Oh… no. Not at all," she walked over from the window as he turned down the covers. He looked at her again. She looked back, this time, present.

"What were you thinking?"

"Nothing."

He didn't believe her, but he also didn't push it. Angel would tell him in due time—she wanted to figure it out for herself first. It's what she always did. Caleb was not worried. They slipped into bed, he wrapped his arms around her, and that's all that mattered. They slept.


	12. The Lunar Harp

_**Chapter 12**_

She woke them as promised: the first hint of dawn light rose with them. Caleb went to the back to collect his motorcycle, bringing it around to the front as Shera gave Angel a small backpack, smiling as though she weren't tired at all.

"Here's a bit of food for the road, and a few remedies I had collected over the years—you'll need them more than I do. I wish I had more…"

"This is more than enough," Angel smiled, hugging the older woman. "Thank you, Shera." She smiled back, returning the embrace. Angel pulled away and Shera caught Caleb's eyes.

"Your father left this behind. I think it was intentional, actually. Maybe he knew you'd follow him one day," she handed him a black ribbon. It looked well-worn, and it still carried the faintest smell of a summer sunset after rain—his father's scent. He knew it from the clothes in the closet of his bedroom. "I'm not going to hide anything from anyone," she continued. "But I do have a feeling you have to do this on your own."

"I can't thank you enough, Shera," he extended a hand to her. She took it, squeezing firmly and slightly surprising Caleb.

"Just do me a favor and come back," she smiled as she said it, but her eyes looked grave. "I don't want to see Cid as depressed as he was several years back."

Caleb returned to his bike. Angel was sitting side-saddle again, waiting for him patiently, the backpack secured tightly over her shoulders. "I will. I promise." He mounted the black motorcycle, rocking it into the upright position. Angel slid her arms around his waist. They both waved, and he jerked the throttle, and they shot off again, kicking up a cloud of dirt as they left the city and merged back up onto the highway. The sky was just beginning to slip on its yellowish-blue coat of early morning. Caleb paid attention to the road. He felt Angel's arms slip from him and then something tightened around his right bicep. He glanced down quickly: she had tied the black ribbon to his arm. Her hands settled on his waist again. He smiled to himself.

"This bridge is long too," she shouted against the wind, indicating the costal bridge they had reached. They began to cross over the ocean, and he knew Angel was looking at the dark blue water, covered in sparkles of white-yellow sunlight.

"You should see the Southern Road," he called back.

"The really long one? Have you been there?"

"Yeah, but I like this one the best."

"Why?"

"Because, there's nothing else like it in the world."

"What's so special about this bridge?"

He didn't answer, but instead, drove in silence for another minute before shifting to the farthest left lane and parking the bike. He let it idle as he glanced back at Angel and grinned, then turned his sights over the ocean. She followed his gaze.

The sun rose—a brilliant, perfect orange sphere in the crystal blue morning sky. Its shining face reflected on the dark blue water, a stark contrast with the light on its surface and the horizon. There were no clouds to obstruct the perfect scene; sunbeams reached across the dome of the sky and caressed it awake.

"People rise with it, the sun," he spoke up. "And even though they're heedless of it, it continues to wake us and greet us each morning. I think it's waiting for at least one person to appreciate it and embrace it back." He opened his arms and stretched, arching his back, letting the new-day sunlight envelop him.

"You're a unique person, Caleb Strife," she gave him an odd little smile. A secret smile.

"Unique just like everyone else," he looked back at her.

Angel looked at him; the way his hair shone with the sunbeams and the way his orange eyes were lost within the blaze of the daylight. He was a god. She reached forward and embraced the sun.

"Good morning," she whispered. He held her back, not questioning the odd look that had overcome her face. He merely enjoyed the feel of her within the circle of his arms, her scent filling his senses. After a few moments, they reluctantly parted from each other and started on their way again, her arms once more around his waist as his eyes kept to the road ahead.

_No matter where, Cale_, she thought, smiling to herself. _No matter for how long. I am with you._

They reached the Northern Continent in the early afternoon, when the sky matched the blue of Angel's eyes. Together, they walked the bike to the entrance of Bone Village. Angel stuck her head into the pack Shera gave her as Caleb let his eyes explore the small mining town—there was nothing much to it, besides a few tarps, tents, and a shop that looked like it doubled as a working quarters.

"Can we eat?" Angel called from behind him, her gaze lifting from the pack to catch his. He smiled, taking a few steps back to return to her side.

"Do you want to? I'm not really that hungry," he shook his head.

"What do you want to do, then?" she asked him.

"Kiss you," he answered truthfully.

She grinned: "After that?"

"Kiss you again?"

"Cale!"

He laughed as she did, slipping an arm around her waist and pulling her close. "Let's eat a little bit of something before we continue."

"What about the kissing thing?" she pouted. "Did you suddenly want to forego that?"

"Methinks you had no problem with my original plan," he lowered his lips to hers.

"You," she kissed him gently, "are a dork."

"So you've told me," he grinned in reply.

"Excuse me?"

They looked up from one another and faced the originator of the voice, a young worker who was standing a few feet away, looking uncomfortable at his disturbance of the moment.

"Yes?" Caleb blinked, Angel still in his arms.

"Um… my employer sent me to ask you if you could give the Lunar Harp to us for a while."

"Huh? Lunar Harp?"

"It sounds pretty," Angel straightened within her companion's arms.

The man looked confused: "You mean, you don't have it?"

"I don't even know what it is," the blond admitted.

"My boss told me that you had it," he appeared both confused and apologetic now. "He said 'there's the spikey-headed blond that had the harp when he passed through here some years back'."

"Spikey-headed blond…" his orange eyes widened. "Where's your boss?" The man pointed over his shoulder, bewildered. Angel stood beside him, clutching the backpack in her hands still. The man the worker had pointed out was huge and burly, with graying hair and a moustache. He was darkly tanned—a bit on the burned side—from all his long hours of toiling in the sun. As Caleb approached him, he dropped his cigarette to the dirt and crushed it beneath one thick-heeled work boot and nodded to him.

"The harp," he grunted. "Can we borrow it?"

"I'm sorry," Caleb shook his head in response. "You're mistaken; I don't have the harp and I don't know where it is either." The man gave him a good looking-over, his eyes narrowing in critical analysis. Caleb let him—the man might have some information of the whereabouts of his father.

"Nah, I guess not," he finally concluded. "The other guy looked a lot like you, but his eyes were cold, like ice. You'd shiver just with one look of those eyes."

He'd heard his guardians say similarly: "Why do you need the harp, anyway? What's so special about it?"

"The Sleeping Forest is a haunted place," he motioned to the ledge above, where a dark entrance in the rock marked a pathway to another section of the area. "Its spell can only be broken with the use of the Lunar Harp."

"You'd want to go in there, even with the harp?" Caleb raised an eyebrow.

"Normally, no," the large man admitted. "But two of the local children wandered inside. We tried to send a few people after them, but none of them have returned. That was almost a week ago."

"I'll go in," Caleb offered.

"You need the Lunar Harp to pass through, Cale," Angel came up to them, her pack once more secure on her back. "Your father didn't think to leave it behind for us."

"I can do it. How hard can it possibly be?"

"Is there another way to go in, or around, without suffering the affects of the forest's magic?" Angel turned her eyes to the lead worker.

"Not that we know of," he shook his head.

"If I'm quick, I'll be fine. I'll go in, grab a few at a time, and come back out," the young mercenary assured. His old friend gave him a dry look.

"Have you tried sending someone in there with a rope tied around their waist?" she offered. "That way, the remaining people could pull them out at a tug of the rope, or when they've felt the person's been in there too long?"

The man blinked, turned to his underlings, and bellowed for rope. Only minutes later, Caleb had been secured at the waist with a thickly-braided rope and placed facing the entrance to the Sleeping Forest.

"Right, so, ten minutes, and if we don't come out before then, haul us back out," Angel gave the order, standing beside him, a rope tied around her own slender waist.

"And you're going where?" Caleb gave her a look.

"With you, of course." She saw him open his mouth to protest and cut him off: "You honestly don't think I'm letting you go in there all by yourself. Think again."

"But—" he tried.

"How many people are inside in total?" she turned to some of the other workers.

"Two children and four adults: three men, one woman, and a little boy and girl."

"Angel—"

"Hush, Cale. Remember: ten minutes."

They nodded.

"Angel—"

"Let's go." She grabbed his hand and dragged him inside. He rolled his eyes as they passed through the opening.


	13. Aeris Gainsborough

_**Chapter 13**_

Her hand slipped from his. He couldn't make her out ahead of him in the darkness of the tunnel. The words of the villagers came back to him and he quickened his stride, breaking out of the narrow passage and into the start of a dark green forest. The trees were thick, their branches low-hanging, arched against one another like fingers—gnarled, bony fingers that formed a blanket-like canopy overhead. Angel glanced at him as he took a step forward, examining the surrounding area.

"See? We're fine," she said. Caleb looked around a little longer and nodded. He still felt uncertain about the whole thing. After another minute or so, he noticed a low-pitched buzzing noise humming faintly in his ears and as soon as he focused on it, it intensified, making him grimace.

"Let's do this quickly," he called back and received no response. He turned and saw his companion lying facedown on the grass, her hair spilling out around her. "Angel!" he ran over and fell to her side, a hand clasping on her shoulder and shaking her as roughly as he dared. "Angel? Angel!" He rolled her over. Her eyes were closed, but he saw them moving feverishly beneath the pale lids. He breathed a sigh, she was alive. The buzzing noise reached into his ears and slithered into his brain, squeezing painfully. Tears sprung into his eyes and he quickly swiped an arm across his face. _This is no time to be weak_. But it always took more than this to make him cry; maybe he was getting overly-sensitive on this journey? He pulled his arm down and stared at it, blinking, then lifted his fingers to his face and touched the cold tracks of his tears. He pulled them away and stared at his hands. They were stained red with blood. "What…?" His eyes adjusted to the sudden red haze that had coated his vision. Figures came into focus, and as the details of their faces became noticeable, the humming in his ears moved to a roar, as if in an attempt to blind him. He smacked a hand to his forehead as he stumbled over to the two smallest figures: the little boy and girl. He grabbed at them, wincing as his hands touched them and the buzzing turned into a scream. He tumbled back to Angel, kneeling beside her body and laying the children in her arms. He arranged her arms securely around them and then tugged on her rope. The townspeople on the other side of the opening took the signal and began to heave her out. He watched her disappear through the archway with his head feeling as if it were about to explode and then he turned to the other figures he had made out before. Four of them, and he took a step forward to get to them. His world spun and he tumbled to one knee, wincing as sharp pain ripped up his side. He let out an unbidden yelp. Fresh blood tears sprang into his eyes and this time he let them come. He hadn't been taken by the magic of the forest—there was some hidden power within these crimson tears. The same tears he had cried when he had obliterated the monsters in Cosmo Canyon. The same tears he cried when he had seen the vision of his parents. He grabbed at the four; the woman rested in the crook of his arm and the men he grabbed by the backs of their work clothes, clutching at them with both trembling fists. He heaved. His strength gave. He collapsed onto his side. His eyes felt extraordinarily heavy and suddenly the cool grass was the best place in the world to be. _Just a little rest… A little sleep…_

"Get up, Caleb. You can't sleep yet."

Her voice was like a shimmering blade that sliced through the dark veil that had lowered upon his vision. Like a physical cut, it stabbed into his chest and the warmth that flowed from the "wound" spread through all his limbs and made him tingle. He was awake. And alive. He sat up abruptly, the four workers still within his arms and still unconscious. A woman walked out from behind one of the squat, moss-covered trees and stared over at him, her hands clasped loosely behind her back. She wore a pale rose pink dress with a short red jacket over her shoulders, and brown boots that matched her hair, which was long and braided and held up by a ribbon that matched the color of her gown. She walked over and crouched before him, hugging her knees to her chest and laying her chin on them as she peered down at him with a soft smile.

"You're just like your dad, you know."

"Who are you?" he blinked up in confusion.

She smiled kindly: "That's not important. What is important is that you need to get out of here. Even your limit break won't save you for much longer."

"You know what this is?" Caleb indicated the red tears rolling down his cheeks.

"They're called Crimson Tears and they're very rare. The Planet only blesses a child of fate with that power."

"Planet? Child of fate? You talk as if the planet's a real person."

"Don't you agree?"

He felt himself nodding slowly. "I thought I was the only one…"

"The children of fate are born one for every generation. In a sense, they are caretakers of the Planet, much like the Cetra were."

"The Cetra?"

"Oh my. Your parents didn't have time to explain anything, did they?"

His eyes lowered, and a dull ache of anger and pain rolled in the pit of his stomach: "No… they—"

"—died when you were only a baby?" His eyes widened. "I know. Your mother told me."

"My mother—!"

"She's fine," the woman reassured with another calming smile. "She misses you and your father both very much."

"My father… is he alive? Is he alright?" Caleb rose quickly and the woman blinked, standing at a much more sedate pace.

"It depends on what you call 'alive'…" she mumbled. He stood tensely in front of her, the tears beginning to ebb slowly. The buzzing was coming back. He flinched.

"Please… who are you? How do you know my parents? Where's my father?"

"Your parents were my closest friends," she answered, her smile turning a little sad. "I originally asked your father to be my bodyguard, back when I was being chased by Hojo and the Turks." Caleb lifted an eyebrow despite his pain. Those names were familiar. "Eventually, through him, I met your mother and we became best friends. It was because of me that they were all dragged on that quest to save the Planet. It was my job, but I…" she laughed, waving it off. "They helped me do my job as the previous Child of Fate. The only thing I could do for them in return was make sure they were safe as they married and had a child of their own." Her green eyes sparkled happily. "You. My nephew."

Caleb's head spun. He opened his mouth to ask more questions; he was full of questions for this mystery woman. But he felt himself plunging back, away from her, and he lurched forward desperately.

"NO!"

He awoke. Angel, who had been sitting beside him, leaned over his vision, her hair spilling like a dark curtain over one shoulder.

"Welcome back," she whispered. He leaned up and kissed her. Her hand stroked his face as he pulled away and she smiled at him.

"I saw a woman," he told her. "She knew my parents. She knew me—she told me what this means." He held up one blood-stained palm. She took his hand with both of hers and kissed his fingertips softly.

"I'm sorry I wasn't of any help to you," she frowned. He shook his head, sitting up fully and squeezing her fingers tightly.

"Did we get everyone?" She smiled again, nodding her head and glancing up. He followed her gaze. The three men and one woman he had dragged out on his own were just now sitting up, holding their heads and blinking as if just waking up from a long nap. Caleb felt the corner of his mouth tugging in a little smile. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned again. The little girl was standing behind him, a woven bracelet of small red woven flowers clutched in her hands and presented to him with a shy glance and a blush. He extended his right arm, offering her his wrist and she beamed gleefully as she linked it around his wrist. "Thank you," he grinned back, and she turned a deeper shade of red, racing back to the little boy and wrapping her arms around his neck. He held her back, his eyes finding Caleb's and nodding his own thanks. They scurried off. Caleb couldn't help but think that they reminded him of himself and…

Angel helped him to his feet. "There's another surprise," she turned and motioned to one of the workers behind her. They handed her a parcel wrapped in oilcloth and she faced him again, holding it up to him. He took it and the cloth fell away from the glowing ivory harp, encircled with golden bands and covered in lacy gold patterns. The strings ran from the arc of it's abnormal J-shape, connected by a golden rod that ran from the top of one end to the other, diagonally. They looked like tracks of star tears. The entire instrument shone like the woman's eyes.

"Is this the Lunar Harp?" he blinked.

"You pulled it out with you. It was lying in your arms along with the others," she nodded. He studied it again, a small smile curving his lips.

"And with this, now we can pass through," he said. Angel gave another nod as a collection of workers hauled Caleb's motorcycle over the ledge and brought it to him, the group headed by the burly leader.

"Thanks, you two," he rumbled, dropping another cigarette butt into the dirt and crushing it with the toe of his boot. "How can we repay the favor?"

"I'll call it in someday," Caleb extended his free hand. The man blinked, then laughed and took the younger man's hand in his larger one.

"You're a special case, kid," he snickered, clapping him on the shoulder and making the blond wince slightly. "And I mean special with quotation marks and everything."

"That wasn't news to me," Angel blinked innocently. Caleb made a face at her, but then grinned.

"Ready to move on?" he asked her.

"Can we eat first?" she pleaded with a smile of her own. He laughed, nodding his head.


	14. Sunstorm

Chapter 14 

"Are you ready?" he looked back at her. The ivory and gold harp was slung casually over one slender shoulder, clashing violently with her rich dark hair. Angel grinned at him, flashing him the thumbs-up sign.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she assured, her hands tightening on his waist. He turned back to the looming tunnel entrance and twisted the throttle of the bike's engine. It roared in response, and he moved his eyes to the workers and their families surrounding the entrance.

"Be safe!"

"Watch out for the monsters."

"Thank you for helping us…"

"Look out for each other, please?"

He nodded to each of them, smiling slightly at the two children from earlier. They watched him and Angel with wide, admiring eyes, clutching onto each other's hands. He lifted one hand and they returned his wave enthusiastically, making him smile broadly. Angel squeezed his waist and he took the signal, rocking the motorcycle upright and kicking up the stand, placing his foot on the starter.

"Good luck, you two," the head worker nodded to them both.

"We'll be fine," Angel assured and Caleb gunned the motor. They shot into the tunnel entrance, the sound reverberating like an automatic gun against the rock walls as they zoomed through the short passage and entered the Sleeping Forest again. Caleb's head started to buzz, and he half-turned his head and opened his mouth, but Angel had been faster. The gentle trill that sounded from the delicate chords made him shiver in pure ecstasy. He closed his eyes and all of a sudden the music was guiding him. His hands responded to every imperfection in the dirt path as the harp sang into the magic aura of the forest, pushing it away from them, parting it like a curtain. Although Angel's hands were not around him, he knew she was all right. In fact, he could see her against the backs of his eyelids, her own eyes closed, her fingers strumming against the pearl-like strings of the beautiful instrument. She looked like a surreal goddess from ancient and lost times.

God, he loved her.

He knew the instant they were out of the forest: Angel stopped playing. Somehow, she knew, and he knew that she knew. His eyes opened, and he was facing a pure, endless white glacier that stretched as far as he could perceive. Her hands were on him again, and he swore he trembled harder still at her touch.

"Want to know the funny thing?" she called up to him. He glanced back to show her he was listening. "I've never touched a harp before. Hell, I'd never seen one before today." He grinned—that's just the way it worked, no helping it. Somehow, he thought it had something to do with the woman he had met within the Sleeping Forest. Had she even told him her name?

It was cold. He was glad Angel was fit tightly behind him; she would be warmer back there. He clenched his teeth together to stop them from chattering. His knuckles were white against the black handlebars, but they still trembled. His amber eyes scanned the area: if he didn't find some type of shelter within an hour or so, they'd be traveling in this weather all night. He briefly wished someone in Bone Village had warned them about this bizarre weather change. He didn't know—none of the highways passed through this area. This was all uncharted territory for him, and for some odd reason, he knew that had been done on purpose. In order to keep people from coming through. From finding this place. What was this place, exactly?

"Look, Cale, there!"

Her arm came over his shoulder, her finger extended straight on to the horizon. He narrowed his eyes against the cold harsh winds and tried to see what she did. At first, nothing but snow drifts caught his attention, and he shot a doubtful look back at her. But she looked convinced there was something there so he looked again. As they roared over the thick ice sheet, blowing up a haze of snow in their wake, something rose into his vision. He hadn't seen it, he realized, because it blended in with everything else—it was a white city. The long, twisting paths disappeared behind an overhang and trailed down into a ravine. He followed one of the narrow trails, wincing at the sight of the drop and the unsteady sounds his tires made on the slick stone. They dropped down into the ancient-looking city via the snaking pathway and for a while, they were riding adjacent to the huge turreted ice palace. Curved ice bridges spanned over huge gaps and wove in and out of spiked towers and descended into what looked like a huge crevice. Huge, white-barked trees enshrouded the entrie city; trees like the single one that grew in the cave at Nibelheim. Their leaves hummed faintly with pure mako energy, shifting colors from clear, to green, yellow, red, blue, back to clear and around again.

"It's very pretty, Caleb," she told him, picking him up clumsily and bringing him over to the glowing white-barked sapling. "See that? It's just like the big trees where the Flower Lady lives. Have you met her? She's really nice and pretty and her flowers always smell good."

Angel gave a little gasp and he glanced back at her. Her face, her entire front side, was bathed in soft white light; she was looking down at the sword strapped to his back—the material inside its eight slots.

"Which one is it?" he called back to her.

She looked back up at his face: "The white one."

He nodded. He had thought as much. They continued into the heart of what he now believed to be an abandoned city—he hadn't seen anyone or thing around to disprove it—and slowed to a stop at the center of a crossroads, leading back the way they had come, to the heart of the white city, a cliff on the left and a large community on the right. He motioned for Angel to get off and killed the engine. She did, looking up at the tall white walls and then down at the worn path descending into the center as he swung his leg over the back of the bike and stood, holding it up in place.

"Come on; let's find shelter."

She turned and followed him up the left-hand path. If Caleb had learned anything in his short time of being a mercenary, it was never to seek shelter in a public place. Ahead and to the right seemed to be the focal points of the deserted city, but, the cliff on the left promised to provide at least some shelter from the cold and prying eyes. He knew the others were still following them; they wouldn't be stopped by a few little distractions like an old acquaintance and a magic forest. These people had done it before—they'd be prepared. So, they trekked the uphill path and reached the top with no breath to communicate. But both pairs of eyes found the small alcove and the markings of a door and windows in the rock wall. Glancing at one another, they collected their breaths as they walked inside the dark brown earthen shelter and looked around for signs of inhabitants.

"Hello?" Angel cupped a hand to the side of her mouth. They both paused and listened for an answering cry that did not come. Caleb lowered the kickstand of his bike and left it there in the small foyer/living area, slowly making his way up the short, simple steps and to a loft and second floor area, where he saw a large white fur rug and a straw mattress bound tightly enough for everyday use, but loosely enough to be comfortable.

"There's only one bed," he announced. Angel came up the stairs as well, looking down at the crude bed on the floor.

"We've shared a bed before," she shrugged. He nodded back, half-turning to her and shrugging as well.

"You get to sleep; I'll be back in a little bit."

"Where are you going?"

"I just want to explore."

"That's what usually gets us both into trouble."

"Just a quick look."

"I've heard that line before."

He smiled, not feeling the confidence he heard in his own voice: "I'm a big boy. I can take care of myself." She opened her mouth to argue again, then shook her head and waved him off, dropping her small pack to the floor and beginning to pull out rations of food and water, as well as clothing. He didn't blame her—it was positively freezing. He watched her do this for a moment, then turned and descended the stairs, slipping out of the small door. In truth, he didn't want to go much farther than that. He had a lot—too much—on his mind, and he didn't want to keep her awake with his tossing and turning. Hands in pockets, Caleb began to pace the length of the slight overhang, his amber eyes occasionally falling to the white city below. Was this the City of the Ancients Shera had mentioned? The same place his parents had once journeyed to, fought in, continued their pursuit of the maniacal Sephiroth in attempts to thwart his plans for world destruction? "Mom… Dad…"

He stood outside for longer than he could keep track of, seeing his parents in his minds eye, traversing the winding paths, battling the remnants of monsters in this sacred space. He found himself wishing they were still alive and mentally cursed himself: it would never happen—he had to get used to that fact, no matter how many things he remembered or how many people he met that had known them, alive or dead. Feeling emptier than ever and tasting the bitterness in the back of his throat, Caleb retreated inside for the night. A quick glance around once again confirmed that no one had lived in here for quite some time, and a quick check let him know that Angel was asleep. He quietly ascended the staircase and looked down at her sleeping figure, lying beneath another fur that she had found somewhere to cover them both with. She had left out rations for him. Suddenly finding himself not hungry (not for rations, anyway) he crossed the short distance between them, silently kicking off his boots and unclasping his scabbard and sword from his back. The armor he had inherited from his father came off his shoulder and was placed on a small rock by the bed. He gently slipped beneath the fur coverlet beside her and felt himself unwind instantly: _It's warm… Her warmth._ He didn't know what he was doing until he had both arms wrapped tightly, almost fiercely around her slight waist. He felt the curve of one hip as she slept on her side and closed his eyes against the wave of longing that slapped at him. He lowered his head to the line of her neck, hidden beneath the dark curtain of her hair and inhaled her scent deeply: the smell of rain that fell when the sun still blazed—a sunstorm. He grinned slightly to himself. What better way to describe her? Brilliant, soft, exceptional, and awe-striking. He trembled, held her tighter, whispered her name. All of a sudden, he feared loosing her. He was afraid that he wouldn't be able to protect her when the time came. He had no idea where the thoughts and feelings were arising from, but they were coming in torrents that became silent, hot tears that soaked into her thick hair.

"Cale…?"

He moaned softly: her voice was like an enchanting melody that hypnotized him each time. She turned to him, lifting a hand to his face. Her touch blazed against his skin and he couldn't take it anymore. He rolled atop her, his arms still tight about her waist. She did not look surprised, only concerned. Her hand cupped his cheek, her thumb gently brushed away the pain leaking down his face. He lowered his lips to hers and her own received him willingly, almost submissively. When she gave a slight sound of pleasure he escalated the kiss, one hand coming from around her and stroking along the contour of her body, clasping at her breast, her hip, her backside. Every inch of her was velvety soft and supple, but so maddeningly firm, strong, powerful. He growled into her mouth and she moaned longingly in response. His hand came back up and snagged at her shirt, dragging it up along with his fingers, running them up the length of her arm, freeing one half of her and his palm fitting against hers. He propped himself up over her and his other hand reached down to complete the job of removing the top half of her clothing. She squirmed beneath him, her own free hand slipping below the cloth of his mercenary uniform and giving a soft, sensual brush of her fingertips. He arched his lower body against hers in response and was greeted with another loud, hungry moan. He couldn't remember when his mouth had left hers, but it had and he didn't like that: he pushed his lips to hers again, swallowing her moan and letting both of his hands traverse up and down along her sides and back and hips.

"Angel…" he gasped against her lips, trying to catch his breath and not caring either way. She was kissing him fiercely now, her own hands tugging impatiently at the blur cloth shirt still covering his torso. He raised himself over her and obligingly removed it and threw his head back as her fingers rushed over the angles and plains of his muscles. A half-pant, half-cry came from him as she grabbed at his waistband and he clasped her hips and practically dragged the material from her body.

"Cale…" she opened her eyes and looked up at him. The sharp blue of her gaze pierced into him and his rushing thoughts suddenly silenced and ebbed, leaving nothing but tranquility. She smiled up at him softly and now he felt he would go mad with desire for her; not her body, simply, her: all of herself, everything she was, whatever she would come to be. He wanted this woman—needed her—like darkness craved light. "I love you."

"I love you, Angel. I love you so much; I need you, all of you, everything, always."

Her hands came to either side of his face and she gently guided his lips to her own: "Ditto."


	15. Hojo and the Turks

Chapter 15 

Cloud Strife felt his eyelids open slowly of their own accord. He looked around, first to the left then to the right. Everything was tinged in a green bubbly haze that obscured his vision and made him nauseous. He forced his eyes closed; the world was starting to spin.

"Cloud…"

He heard someone call his name faintly, distantly, as if from behind something thick, like crystal or glass. He twitched his head once in response and the voice called to him again.

"Cloud… can you hear me? It's me."

That voice, he knew it. It was soft and rich and full and deep and everything he had dreamed about for so long—it was Tifa's voice. The heavy lids slid partially open, allowing him to look out before him into the greenish-blackness that had always surrounded him for as long as he could remember now. The only thing he knew was this odd-colored prison and Tifa's voice. She had come to visit him again.

"Everything's alright, Cloud. Everything's okay. I'm here now."

A hand reached for him and he slipped into unconsciousness as the slender fingers skimmed against solid glass and stilled.

"He's absolutely extraordinary," the woman said as she stood, still facing the containment tube Cloud Strife had been placed in almost twenty years ago. Behind her, she could feel rather than hear the slow, methodical shuffle-drag of the scientist's footsteps as he paced the length of the desecrated altar, strewn with wires and tubing and cables.

"You, my dear, are absolutely extraordinary," he giggled. "You, my perfect creation. My beautiful soldier. You are my finest work—he is just a failed experiment."

Her crystal green eyes flashed at his words but her voice continued to carry an even, steady tone: "Thank you, Master."

"Sir!"

They both turned to the third member of their underground crew, a tall man with a shock of red hair tied back in a lengthened ponytail and dressed in a snappy blue suit, minus the formality of a tie. His collar was undone and so were the cuffs of his sleeves. Despite his disheveled appearance, his black shoes were spotless polished mirrors.

"Reno and I have found the cause of the disturbances from last night," he announced, as a proud child would announce to their parents good news from school. "It seems his son and a woman traveling with him have taken shelter in one of the abandoned houses in the city."

"Finally," grunted the skinny, hunchbacked man. "Why on earth did he take his sweet time coming?" He limp-dragged his way across the stone altar and down the constructed metal ramp, hands clasped loosely behind him as his head bowed in thought, oily strands of black hair falling out of the haphazardly-secured tie and along the sides of his angular face, making his jaw stand out prominently. The younger red-head opened his mouth, decided he valued his life and bypassed the comment he was about to fling out, choosing to prompt an order instead. He hadn't learned _nothing_ in the past thirty years.

"What would you like us to do about it, sir?"

"Bring him here," Hojo ordered, turning to Reno as his eyes glimmered in psychotic glee. "I don't care what you do with the woman, but, bring his son here to me." The Turk nodded and disappeared as quickly as he came. The white lab coat flowed like a bizarre cape flourish as he whirled to the woman standing by Cloud's containment pod. "Experiment 819720—Codename: Ayden."

"Yes, master," she straightened immediately.

"Prepare for our reception with our…guests. Make sure he is not found."

"Yes, master," she repeated. He left the central altar room and shuffle-limped his way to the short hall leading to the crudely constructed bedrooms. She watched him go and then turned her attention to the pale man floating silently in the green mako liquid, tubes and wires crisscrossing his bony frame. She shook her head, lowered her eyes, and reached out with both hands, her face remaining expressionless as she uprooted the entire casing from the stone platform and slammed it against the ground. With an explosion of green glass, he tumbled limply out of the containment unit at her feet, heaving and coughing and gagging.

He retched, thin, hot, runny brown liquid that made his throat burn and the smell made him want to puke again. He rolled onto his back, only half-aware of what he was doing, convulsing against the cold stone of the floor. Ayden reached down and grabbed him by the back of his blond head, feeling chunks of hair and skin come off his skull effortlessly. His eyes were rolled back so only the whites showed and low, wheezing-moaning noises issued from his throat. Ayden dragged him along the stone altar and down the metal ramp, ignoring the screams of pain and the disgusting ripping sounds as skin and flesh tore away from his body. She pulled him down the hall and around to the crystal staircase, where a metal elevator had been erected just beside it. She threw him inside; he hit the opposite wall with a loud _clang. _He whimpered. She entered the elevator and threw the switch. The gears turned and the cage began to rise.

"Tifa…" he slurred.

Reno cocked his head at Rude, confirming silently with his eyes. The bald, aged man nodded and they crept inside the stone shelter within the overhang of the cliff wall. On the lower platform was a motorcycle: black, silver, and sleek. Reno's eyebrows shot up in appreciation. Rude rolled his eyes, though it couldn't be seen behind his thick sunglasses. That was one of the perks for working with the same partner for so long: you began to memorize each other's moods, mannerisms, and gestures and know what each meant. Reno knew this would be the last assignment the two of them ever did together: with Shin-Ra gone and Rude getting into very old age (Reno had asked him once exactly how old and he had gotten shot at), the man was soon to be retired. Which was fine. After the Meteor incident all those years back and with this job now, Reno didn't blame him either. Hojo wouldn't need them after the final stage of his plan anyway—that bitch Ayden was meant to be his whore and bodyguard for the rest of their damned existence. For a moment, he wondered why they had even rescued Hojo from the debris of Midgar and nursed him back to health. Why had they—including Elena at the time—agreed to extract revenge on Cloud and his friends? Why did Hojo have the prototype murder Elena after his teammate had voiced her feelings on the experiment; _This is wrong, and you know it! No one should be put through this kind of torture! She should have been allowed to rest in peace like anyone else! I quit! I can't do this anymore—I won't help you destroy his body or her soul any longer! _And they had never seen her again after that night, but both he and Rude knew what had happened. Hojo had looked so smug afterwards. It was the only time Reno had ever felt like disobeying a direct order. But, here they were, to get rid of a girl no older than twenty, and capture a boy who had grown up with no parents because of their employer. What a sick and twisted life.

Rude flanked him to the staircase. He went up first, electric rod in hand, his thumb hovering over the 'on'-switch. There were two figures huddled beneath an off-white animal fur blanket and he didn't blame them—it was fuckass cold. He signaled Rude to the left side as he circled around to the right. The older man withdrew a pistol with a silencer locked onto it; not that it mattered here. No one would hear it, except for them. He was used to gunshots. Whatever.

He held up three fingers. They both stopped at their respective edges, weapons out. Reno flicked his fingers up and down successively: one, two, three. His thumb jammed down onto the red button as he drove the metal spike deep into the sheets and there was the zipped, whispered sound as the silenced gun fired its rounds into the mattress. With any luck, the two hadn't shifted positions in the middle of the night and they hadn't just accidentally killed the boy. They both reached down to pull back the fur blanket.

Caleb dropped from the alcove above and knocked both men to the ground. The empty pistol slid away into the darkness and the tazer weapon clattered noisily along the loft floor.

"Go, Angel!" he shouted. She ran out from beneath the staircase and vaulted onto the bike, hitting the started at the same time. The engine roared to life as Reno and Rude both struggled against Caleb's surprising strength. He dropped the crystal-lined blade to the backs of their necks as Angel shot out of the alcove and up the path, further into the city. "Who are you?" the blond youth snarled, grazing the razor-sharp blade against the napes of their necks, effectively trimming the small hairs and withdrawing a startled yelp from the red-head.

"We're the Turks—an old Shin-Ra organization."

"The Turks…" he mumbled.

"Heard of us, I see," Reno grinned then proceeded to eat dirt as Caleb drove the blade down once more, ensuring they couldn't move a centimeter without some nasty damage.

"Where is my father?"

Reno raised an eyebrow: "What would you do if I told you? There's no helping him now: Hojo's got him, and he's dying."

Rude, whose glasses had fallen off in the attack, looked over his shoulder and the sword at the younger version of the ex-mercenary they had captured. "We're always for hire—we only work for the ones with the most tempting offer."

"And how did Hojo hire you? Money?" Caleb snarled. "You kept my father imprisoned for twenty years just so you could have some money to make yourselves comfortable?"

"We desecrated your mother's tomb, while we were at it," Reno added thoughtfully, and realized that he still had to watch his big mouth because the blond was looking very angry and very, very murderous. He quickly pulled himself together: "Under Hojo's orders. He's used her body for the experiment he's conducting."

"Experiment…?" Caleb's eyes widened but he didn't dare loosen his hold; he was a smart boy.

"We'll strike a bargain right now," Rude grunted, his doughy face reddening from lack of air. "Our lives for the information you want."

"You'd betray your own client?"

"We're Turks, kid. We follow our own rules. But we can't do that if we're dead."

Caleb's eyes flickered from amber to lethal red, and both men thought they were going to die despite their efforts. Then, he was helping them up, the sword laying against the wall beside them. The young man stepped over their sprawled bodies and collected Reno's weapon, then went back into the dark corner to retrieve the gun. The two older men sat up and rubbed the backs of their necks, Rude placing his sunglasses back on his face. Caleb sat on the fur-lined mattress and after a moment of silence, he tossed the weapons back at their respective owners. They caught them easily and without him having to say anything, they put them back into the folds of their suits. They had a new client, and now it was strictly business.

"Tell me everything," Caleb ordered. And they did.


	16. Truth

Chapter 16 

Angel looked back once, just as the path curved sharply downwards and blocked the slight alcove from view. She shook her head and twisted the throttle, putting on a burst of speed as she lay against the motorcycle, her hair whipping out behind her. She took the curves at top speed, leaning hard into them, wanting to go even faster but knowing she'd never be able to handle the bike at that rate. Caleb could, though. Caleb could do anything. That's why she felt safe with him. Rushing through the deserted city without him, Angel felt she was an easy target. She'd never let herself be, though.. She had to live for him, she had to help him find his—

With a sharp squeal, the bike stopped in the middle of the lower path, leading out of the city. She couldn't leave him behind. But he had asked her to go as far away from this place as she could. Biting her lip, Angel nudged the bike back ward until she was facing the opposite way, into the heart of the abandoned city. She'd stay there. There were so many places to hide and she could still be close to him. The engine roared as she shot down the unfamiliar paths, her bright blue eyes darting back and forth and taking in her surroundings. White buildings, white houses, white streets; wildly flourishing plants that somehow hadn't overcome the path; crystal pillars that spiraled upward and illuminated the streets she was weaving through. Angel almost turned off the narrow path to go into the residential section when her gaze snagged on something dark blue against all the white. She continued forward, the paved road turning into a dirt path as huge, white-barked trees loomed up over her head, just like the one in the cave in Nibelheim and the ones they had spotted upon their survey of the city earlier that night. Is that where she was? If that were the case, she was coming up to that huge spiral shell palace that seemed to be made of ivory and ice and crystal. Slowing down, she drove carefully into the thick collection of trees, her eyes looking up at their surreal leaves as their colors continued to shift: green, yellow, red, blue, white, around again.

_Rustle._

It wasn't the wind; she heard it over the engine and instantly killed it, the sudden silence crashing in from all sides like an ocean closing over her. Her eyes darted back and forth, looking for the source of the noise. Her ears were almost physically perked up to catch any other noise.

_Drag. Rustle. Thump._ Angel silently lowered the motorcycle to the floor and stepped over it, creeping slowly toward a break she had spotted in the line of trees. The deep blue glow was coming from there, and there was something, someone, there too. Edging behind one of the thick white trunks, she peered around to study the area. A woman was standing there, tall, dark, and silent. Angel shivered at the aura of power rolling off of it; it was evil and evil-controlled. Beside her was a disfigured heap of something that gave off a low, pained moan. She jumped—was that a human!

"And now, Cloud Strife," said the woman, reaching down and grabbing at the huddled shadow by her feet. "You must die."

Angel gasped: "Cloud Strife!" Caleb's father was alive!

The shadowy woman dropped his body and turned to the trees. Angel ducked behind the tree but not before catching a glimpse of lethal green eyes that shone out of a small, round face.

"Who's there?" she called. Angel bit her lip and remained silent, praying that the woman would just leave her alone by some miracle. She heard approaching footsteps and closed her eyes, her fingers tensing slightly. She saw the dark woman in her mind, saw her coming even closer, saw her reaching one hand beyond the shadow of the tree to find the intruder. Two wickedly-curved arm blades slid soundlessly from their sheaths in her leather-bound gauntlets, and Angel leapt out of her hiding place, tackling the woman. They rolled, Angel coming out on top. She drew a fist back to strike the mystery woman and glanced over at the same moment to check on Cloud Strife. She froze, her eyes wide.

"What happened to you…?" she whispered.

Caleb rose. Reno and Rude stood as well, straightening their uniforms. The blond looked distracted as he strapped his father's sword onto his back.

"So, this… experiment," he spoke slowly, as if trying to control his temper. The other two men tensed; this boy was no one to be messed with. "This…this _thing_, is using my mother's body? And my father's genetic code?"

"Essentially, it's like a sister you never had," Reno responded and winced at the flash of orange amber eyes.

"It took twenty years to perfect," Rude cut in before his partner lost his face. "With the remnants of cells extracted from a piece of Jenova we discovered in the Northern Crater and the Black Materia. Hojo used your father to open the sealed cave entrance and steal his own wife's body from her grave with a manipulation chip he developed and planted on Cloud when he first arrived here all those years ago." Reno looked at his companion in shock—that was the most the man had ever said in one sitting, _ever. _Caleb nodded, looking from him to the red-head, and out the door

"I'm going to kill him," he stated softly.

"You can't do it alone," the younger Turk said. "Hojo's turned her into an uber-scary-bitch-clone-thing."

"Your father's alive, but just barely. After what Hojo did to his mind…" the elder man shook his head slowly.

"I will kill him," Caleb growled, looking back at them once before striding from the small shelter. "It's my job."

They watched him go, exchanging puzzled glances.

"He's gonna die trying," Reno spat.

"It's not our job anymore," Rude answered.

"Yeah…"

They stood silently in the abandoned house for another few moments.

"Elena said it was wrong."

"You liked Tifa, didn't you?"

"He killed them both."

"Yeah, I know he did."

They exchanged another glance, this one grave.

"We're Turks, Reno."

"Yep, that's us."

"Turks follow their own rules."

"Is there a rule for desecrating graves and extracting revenge for murdered teammates?"

Rude's lips twitched in what looked like a grimace, but was actually an attempt at smiling: "There could be."


	17. Angel versus Ayden

Chapter 17 

She used her attacker's distraction to throw the younger woman to the ground and leap to her feet. Angel landed hard on her side, her hair falling over her face as she lifted herself to her knees. She shot another terrified glance to the figure beside her. Cloud Strife gave another incoherent moan through a mouthful of blood and thick green liquid, his blond hair covering his dull, dead eyes. He was alive, but only in the most technical of senses. Angel turned her eyes back up to the other dark-haired woman and got to her feet.

"Who are you? What have you done to him!"

The woman bowed, making Angel blink in surprise: "Experiment 819720—Codename: Ayden."

"An experiment?" she repeated, confused.

"My master created me. I am the perfect mixture of physical, mental, and magical strength."

"Oh, well, that's nice to know," she replied dryly.

"My orders are to terminate Cloud Strife and to bring his son to my master," the other woman continued.

"Don't you think he's dead enough?" Angel gestured angrily at the man on the floor. "And you'll never find Caleb; he'll defeat you and your master."

There was a bright flash of green and then Angel was on the floor, coughing as she choked for breath. Ayden stood over her, a fist clenched. She hadn't even seen her move!

"I will protect my master with my life," she said. Angel rolled her eyes, getting to her feet.

"Because he told you to? Or because he programmed it into you?" she wiped her mouth and raised her fists, the blades lining her arms glimmering in the light emanating from the dark blue lake behind her.

"I must carry out my orders," Ayden took a similar stance, and beside Angel, Cloud flinched.

"Tifa… Tifa…"

"If you don't have anything to fight for besides that, then I'm definitely going to kick your ass," the younger woman smirked. "I'll protect Caleb because I _want_ to do it." They jumped at each other. Their fists met, their legs struck, their elbows locked. Angel backed away and narrowed her eyes, looking at her opponent carefully. "What are you? An android?"

Ayden came running at her: "How dare you compare me to such medieval technology!" Angel grunted as she blocked as many swings from the experiment as she could. "I am beyond anything you humans could ever imagine!" One fist slammed into the hollow of her chest and Angel doubled over, wheezing. The next things she saw was a knee rushing up to her and then the black sky. She was flat on her back, and her nose was broken. "I'm invincible!" A booted foot was coming down to stomp the hell out of her ribcage.

Angel rolled to one side and bounded to her feet: "You're a looney." She launched herself at the other woman's knees. They both fell again, and Angel clawed her way up Ayden's body, clenching her fists together and raising them up over her head. A hand clamped on one of her calves and she looked back down at the person who had grabbed at her.

"Please…" Cloud rasped, one of his faded blue eyes cinched shut with pain. "Don't hurt… Tifa…"

"Tifa…" Angel blinked. "Your wife!" He nodded. She stared and suddenly there was a bright, searing pain at the base of her skull. It throbbed into her vision, making her ears ring and her eyes unfocus. Between the pain and her broken nose, she couldn't breathe. Ayden's mouth was at her ear, one hand in her hair, the other crushing a pressure point on the base of her neck.

"Tifa is dead. I'm simply going to reunite them in the afterlife."

Angel's eyes flashed and one of her own hands shot out and grabbed a handful of thick brown hair. She pulled the woman's face to hers and snarled, her other fist flying out and slamming into her face. They tumbled again, Angel getting unsteadily to her feet as the world continued to spin and she fought for balance.

"Kiss my white ass, bitch," she heaved, turning to Cloud and kneeling beside him. "We have to get you to Caleb. He has the materia to help you." She reached for his arm. Cloud's unseeing eyes skipped up over her shoulder and she tried to turn around in time. With a fierce yank, Angel was pulled back by the hair and tossed to the floor. Ayden wiped something from her mouth—not blood, and not saliva; something green and glowing—and stalked towards her. Angel quickly vaulted back up to her feet only to be kicked full in the chest and she went hurtling backward, slamming hard into the trunk of one of the large thick trees. She felt something crack and screamed against her will. Experiment 819720 drew back a fist and suddenly, Angel was feeling the wrath of what seemed like two different fighters: punches, slams, rips, kicks, throws. One of her arm blades was snapped off—she heard the sound but couldn't move to do anything about it. Snapped off like a sapling branch. One of her shoulders was being held against the white bark; if it hadn't been, she would have fallen to the ground a long time ago. She half-sensed the movement and fully felt the crescendo of pain that spurted out from the center of her chest and echoed like a ripple pattern throughout her entire body. Unnatural warmth seeped down the front of her body, and suddenly she wanted to lie down. Anywhere, really. It seemed like an excellent idea. Only, when she tried to let her legs give out so she could find the floor, she remained upright. The hard bark of the huge tree was very uncomfortable. And there was a sharp pain in the center of her chest, but that was going away. Everything was going numb. She closed her eyes.

I'm sorry I'm such a burden, Caleb. Just a short nap, I promise… 

And suddenly there was a loud roar and everything went white.

Caleb Strife picked up his motorcycle and looked beyond the line of trees, into a small clearing at a lakeside. Angel had taken his bike; she was supposed to have gotten out of the city. So, why was it here? He heard two voices, both female, and the next moment they were fighting. A pause, then more fighting. A longer pause. A body being slammed against something. A choked gasp, and then, nothing. The silence was the worst part. Caleb quietly started his bike and slipped on, gunning the engine and shooting off, urging the bike to go faster with each harsh twist of the throttle. He reached behind him and yanked out the crystal-lined Ultima Weapon.

_God, Angel. Be alive. Please, please, god, be okay._

Ayden looked to the tree where she had pinned the troublesome girl. "Hn," she grinned to herself, "serves her right." She shook herself out and ran her hands back through her hair, looking down at the barely-alive man.

"You truly are a+n extraordinary man," her hard green eyes softened as she gazed down at him. "But I must do what my master commands." She bent down to grab him again. A roaring engine made her stand up abruptly. A black and silver whirl of sleek color darted past her, and her right arm was broken. Just like that. She lifted her cold green eyes to the intruder. A blond man on a motorcycle swerved around and idled by the woman hung on the tree. He grabbed the blade holding her up and hissed through his teeth as the sharp metal cut through his palm Carefully, he pulled the short metal piece from her and she crumpled into his arms. He caught her tenderly, as if afraid to do any more damage to a dead woman.

He shook her gently. "Angel…? Angel, come on, open your eyes; say something!"

Her lids fluttered slightly. He held onto her tighter, lowering his lips to her cheeks and then trailing them up to her forehead.

"Angel, come on. Please…?"

Slowly, she opened her clear blue eyes and smiled up at him.

"I'm just napping, Cale," she assured in a faint voice, her hand coming up to stroke his face. "Just a little longer… Let me sleep a little longer…"

"Angel…!" he shook her again, but her eyes closed once more. Her hand slipped from his face and fell limply to her side. He shuddered, pulling her body closer to his. "Angel… Ang—Kali. Kali, come on! Kali! _Angel!"_ He wailed, squeezing his own eyes shut and wrapping his arms tightly, protectively around her.

"_My son," _she_ whispered sweetly, closing her eyes, "Caleb. I know you're going to be such a strong, handsome man." His hands touched _her_ hair and a smile flickered across _her_ face. "Such a good boy. I love you, Caleb. I love you more than anything else in this world, or the next." His hands stroked his mother's hair. _Her_ hand slipped from _his_ face and struck the floor. He turned his face to his mother's, one pudgy hand reaching down and touching one still eyelid. He closed his eyes and lowered himself to _her_ chest, pressing one small ear to the place over _her_ ceased heartbeat. He wailed and huge tears leaked from his eyes._

Caleb looked up at the only other figure standing in the clearing. The woman was taller than normal, with a flowing length of brown hair tied loosely behind her. Her white tank top and suspenders stretched against her frame as she turned from the human figure on the floor to look at him. The black skirt came midway down her thighs. Her steel-toed boots were covered in dirt and blood, as were her leather-gloved hands. He kicked down the stand, settled Angel onto the seat, and turned to the woman that had once been his mother. He lifted the point of the glowing weapon to her chest level.

"I'll kill you for this," he hissed, his amber eyes narrowing in determination. She turned fully to face him, cracking each of her fingers and knuckles individually as her own monstrous green eyes locked onto his.

"Not if I kill you first," she said. They ran at each other.


	18. Final Attack: Phoenix

Her broken arm hung at her side as they rushed at one another, but she didn't let it hinder her--her leg swung out at his head. Caleb ducked and caught her ankle, holding her body at an awkward angle. She tried to fling him down but he adjusted his grip, pivoted, and hurled her back against the same tree trunk she had pinned Angel to. She screamed and he whirled around to look down at the blond man who hadn't moved since his arrival. He knelt, the sword's point digging into the dirt as he leaned against it, his orange eyes wide. The man turned his head up and locked once-bright blue eyes with the other. Caleb reached down and touched one side of his angular, pale face, leaning in closer until he felt the man's slight breath on his own.

"Dad...?" he whispered. The naked blond reached up as well and lay a trembling hand on the young mercenary's face. His wrinkled thumb weakly traced his cheekbone and he opened his mouth to respond. Her boot came down between their faces and she kicked hard, catching Caleb in the jaw and sending him flying back, away from the edge of the dark blue water. He landed on his hands and knees and clenched his teeth, getting his feet under him and running forward. His sword still stood where he had planted it, but his father's body had been moved. Ayden was dragging his body toward the water, her back to him. He took the opening and rammed into her, making sure to pull hard on her broken arm. The woman screamed and dropped Cloud by the water's edge and Caleb got up first, kicking at her. She rolled away and got to one knee as he ran back and clenched a fist around the purple handle of the huge broadsword. He yanked it up out of the ground and turned to face her but she had recovered and effectively hidden herself. Holding the clear blade with both hands, his eyes scanned the area as best they could, slowly backing around until he was facing the trees, his back to the water so he could get a full look.

She walked out of the white tree forest, and for a moment, Caleb lowered his sword: his mother... that was his mother over there. He was fighting against his own mother, who had given her life for him once. And he was meaning to take her life again, with his own hands. Her eyes, even from this distance, glared a harsh, rabid green. He shook his head. This wasn't the Tifa Lockheart his friends and guardians had told him about. This wasn't his mother, with her gentle, loving nature and proud strength that everyone she had known admired her for. She was a mere shell--the soul had long-departed the forsaken body. Hojo would pay dearly for this.

"You are your father's son, Caleb Strife," she said softly, standing a distance back. "Extraordinary. But, your fight against me is pointless. I have both your mother and father's strengths, skills, and abilities. I can do everything they could, I can surpass them. My creator made me perfect, and he can do the same for you." She extended a hand to him and took a few steps forward. "Come. He is eager to meet you"

Caleb gripped the handle of his father's sword tighter and ran forward, swinging downward. The yellow materia in one of its eight slots glowed and the crystal leaves of the forest shone yellow with it. His strike found her chest, and three more came after it: one sideways across her stomach, one upward from navel to neck, and the last back down, knocking her to the ground. He looked at the blade, now coated in slick green liquid--mako. Through the green tinge, he saw the yellow materia fade back to its original dull glass-like appearance. She moaned from his feet and he took a step back from her, lowering the sword. Her hand shot out and grabbed his ankle. He jumped and was hurled backward. Landing hard on his back, he saw Ayden lunge at him. His hand convulsed on his sword and he noticed the forest take on a faded crystal green hue. He flung a hand up to fend her off and a hot, purple ball of energy formed in his palm and flared outward, red flames leaping out of the energy and spiraling out into a sphere, with scalding blue flames making up its center. He heard the experiment scream and he sat up, looking at his hand in awe. His eyes rose to her as she writhed and twisted on the ground, then skipped over to his father, moaning incoherently by the lakeside. He got shakily to his feet and dragged the sword over, once again sticking the point into the ground and leaning over the other man's too-skinny body.

"I hope this works..." he muttered and closed his eyes. The green glow of the tree leaves intensified as he focused his lifeforce into the Restore orb and cast the magic outward, feeling its power drain him. He gasped for breath and he heard his father do the same on the ground and his eyes shot open, looking down at him. Cloud Strife looked back up, not the lifeless, empty shell, but the actual man. His eyes filled with life and strength as color returned to his drained flesh. Cuts closed up, skin regrew, hair spilled vibrantly over his shocking blue eyes. His lips twitched into the ghost of a smile from years ago. Caleb, speechless, could only focus again, pouring more life energy into the cure spell, watching this transformation with wide, unbelieving eyes. He watched his father sit up, cross his legs and lock his elbows so he could support his upper body. The older man gave him a full smile this time.

"That's my boy," Cloud reached out and clapped a hand gently on Caleb's fist. He fell to his knees, pulling in ragged breaths, letting his hair fall over his eyes. His own lips turned up in a tired smile. Cloud's eyes suddenly darted behind him and before either could react, he tumbled back into the shallows of the lake.

"Dad!" Caleb cried and was grabbed fiercely by the back of the neck. He felt her fingers digging bruises into his skin as she lifted him up off the ground, shaking the sword loose from his hand and tossing him over her shoulder. He let out a harsh cry as he felt his own arm give a dull snap and go numb as he landed on his left side. He stayed on the ground for a moment, shutting his eyes tightly as if trying to shut out the pain. His entire left side felt abused, and he was pretty certian a few of his ribs were nicely bruised. Struggling to get his uninjured arm beneath him to help him lift himself up, he felt the oncoming of a headache. Was his limit break activating again? He heard a rush of footsteps coming toward him and he snapped his head up just as a woman screamed. His eyes widened.

Angel's eyes fluttered open slowly. The soft green glow was soothing, rejuvinating. She sat up, a slight ache in her chest making one hand come up to press against it. Her head turned slowly as she surveyed the area--she saw Caleb and his father, Cloud, kneeling together by the water's edge. The clone-experiment shot out from nowhere, knocking the older man into the lake and picking up Caleb and flinging him hard. He landed near her, screaming in pain and she heard an audible snap. She got off the motorcycle seat and ran over to him.

"Cale!" she gasped. The woman, Ayden, was coming at him again, and this time she had his sword clenched in one hand, the other hanging limply by her side. Caleb wouldn't recover in time; he was too dazed to react. He was going to die. She didn't realize she had strated forward until she was standing before him, arms out to either side. "I won't let you hurt him!" She shrieked. Ayden screamed back and thrust the sword deeply into her chest.

"Angel, _NO!"_ Caleb screamed. But she was already dead. Her hair, thankfully, covered the exit point of the blade, and all he could see was a few slight trickles of blood running down her legs. Ayden yanked the sword out of her and threw it down to the dirt. She spilled back to the ground and Caleb caught her, feeling her blood pouring out of the sword wounds on both sides of her torso. He began gasping, softly at first, one arm tight around her, his other hand stroking her face and hair. His breathing escallated, heaving in and out in quick, ragged pants. His eyes widened until they dwarfed his usually-calm face, tears gathering at the corners slowly. "Angel... Angel...!" Ayden gripped his jaw with her good hand, and the back of his head with the broken one. He closed his eyes, letting the tears spill down his cheeks. He felt the subtle change from water to blood as they cascaded down his face, and he dropped his hand from her hair and grip the handle of his father's sword. "I'm coming, Angel..." he sobbed, pulling her forehead up to press against his. "Wait for me."

Cloud Strife rose from the water as he heard a thick, murmured snap and he saw his son's body crumple to the ground with the young woman from before in his arms. Caleb's hand was still on the wrapped handle of his Ultima Weapon. The thing that was once his wife turned slowly from their bodies, her green eyes zeroing in on him. He shivered. Her gaze had never been so cold and unfeeling, even for her enemies. This was not the woman he had married all those years ago. It was just her body. Tears came to his eyes as she approached and he recalled a time where the mere sway of her hips sent him into pangs of want, just looking at the curve of her face made him feel like everything in the world was alright. He lowered his gaze to the cold blue water he sat in, remembering the last time he had been here: Aeris. He briefly wondered, if Sephiroth hadn't killed her, would things have gone the way they did? He flinched when her boots came into his vision. Her fingers curled into his hair and yanked his head up to face her.

"Now, it's your turn," she growled at him.

He smirked back at her: "Actually, no. It's yours."

A gentle song drifted up from the bodies of the two lovers. The trees came alight with a mixture of blue and red hues. The colors blazed brilliantly. Slowly, like a tendril of red smoke, a figure rose from the Ultima blade and spread out over the fallen bodies, congealing into a tangible shape. The bird-like creature rose into the air, its wings unfolding, spreading outward and glimmering gold and red. Feathers stretched out and a long rainbow tail spread out behind it, and the Phoenix lifted to the treetops, crooning its melody. Wisps of red and gold energy wrapped around their bodies and they rose from the ground, their bodies staying intertwined. Magic caressed his neck and her torso, mending bones and flesh, rejuvinating blood. The spirals lowered them to the ground, standing them up on their feet and wrapping tightly around their bodies. Then, with another screeching note of its song, the huge firebird dove toward Ayden and rammed into her fully, knocking her back into the wall of the shell-spiral palace and disappearing as she crashed down into the water. Cloud turned his gaze back from the fading sparkles of energy to see Caleb and Angel slowly open their eyes. Their arms instantly tightened around one another.

"I thought I lost you," Caleb whimpered.

"You kept your promise," Angel beamed at him. "You came to rescue me when I was in trouble"

He kissed her fiercely. Cloud smiled, blushed slightly, and turned his eyes down to give his son and this young woman their moment of relief.


	19. An Explanation

Angel bent and righted Caleb's black and silver motorcycle. Leaning it against her hip, she reached over the seat and rummaged through the saddlebag, coming out with a spare mercenary uniform. Now avoiding her eyes from his father's naked form, she held out the clothing and blushed softly. He took them with a whispered "thank you" and hurriedly pulled on the pants and shirt, tying the belt securely around his waist.

"Dad..." Caleb tried.

"OY!" They looked up at the sound and all three saw Yuffie Kisaragi waving her arms excitedly. Then she shook her head. "I'm seeing double"

"Only when you're drunk, Yuffie," Cloud called back with a slight smile.

Her jaw dropped, making her round face appear overly-comical combined with the wide-eyed stare. "Oh. My. GOD! IT'S CLOUD! GUYS! IT'S CLOUD! HE'S ALIVE"

Hurried footsteps sounded and up along the path appeared the rest of their rag-tag group. Nanaki threw back his angular head and let loose a emotion-filled howl as Cid did a stomping-type riverdance and whooped, pumping one fist in the air. Vincent, for one of the few times in his long life, grinned like a fool. Barrett was the only one not celebrating as Caleb, Angel, and Cloud walked the younger man's bike over to them, grinning like idiots themselves. He crossed his arms, and for the first time ever, Caleb saw a silver-plaited gun fixed onto the place where his artificial arm should have been. He had only heard stories about his guardian's previous extremity before this. The big black man wore a scowl that was unreadable as the three of them stood to face the others. The excited shouts abruptly came to a stop as the seriousness of their companion's expression leaked into the atmosphere. Caleb, head hung slightly, took a step forward.

"Barrett, I'm sorry. I went into the cave where mom was buried and I started getting all these flashes and suddenly I had the idea that I could find dad"

"Had a feelin' sum'in' happened in'at cave," he cut off the orange-eyed boy with a wave of his real hand. His dark eyes turned to the almost-identical figure standing beside him. "You alive"

"Yep," Cloud laughed nervously. "Still kicking"

With a speed that was unheard of for a man his size, Barrett threw his beefy arms around the blond haired, blue-eyed man and squeezed so hard, he cracked the other man's back.

"Why'ain't come back any sooner?" he cried, standing his friend up and beaming at him. Cloud rolled his head on his neck and popped the final joint the bear hug hadn't caught, smiling back at his long-time friend.

"I'm sorry. It's a long story," he answered.

"We've got time," Vincent motioned to the path leading back up to the city. "You all look like you'll need a rest before we head back to Nibelheim anyway"

"No rest," Caleb shook his head, backing up a step. "I've got another score to settle"

"You don't think you defeated Ayden?" Angel turned to him, worry flashing in her deep blue eyes.

He shook his head, taking a few more steps back: "I have a feeling it's not over; I couldn't kill something like that so easily"

"That was easy?" she squacked.

"I still have to stop the nut behind this," he looked at her apologetically.

"I'm going with you"

"Angel..."

"You can't stop me, Cale! I said I'm coming, no matter what"

"I need someone here to take care of my father"

"He can take care of himself, boy," Cid assured with a wink. "He ain't that old"

"He's right, though," Nanaki sniffed at his old friend. "He doesn't smell like he's at his fullest strength yet"

"I'm fine," Cloud tried.

"Besides, you have to tell us what happened," Yuffie demanded. "One doesn't disappear for almost eighteen years and not have something to say about it"

"Storytime with Cloud," Vincent gave a ghost of a smile to the older blond. "You know the drill"

"I don't want him to be here any longer than he has to be," Caleb announced sternly, making everyone turn to him. "Get him out of the city first and hear the story later"

"You're going in all by yourself?" Yuffie blinked.

"Nu-uh," Barrett shook his head. "Tifa's spirit will let me have it then"

Cloud, Angel, and Caleb gave one another nervous glances.

"I'll be fine on my own, and I'll catch up to you all soon," he assured, his eyes holding Angel's. "I promise, this'll be quick"

"Cale..." she bit her lip. He grinned at them, then turned and started jogging back to the lake, leaving them with his motorcycle on the dirt path. Angel opened her mouth to call after him and Cloud placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Come on. Take me to the place you and Caleb stayed. He'll be fine on his own, and I need everyone to hear this"  
Angel gripped the handlebars and rolled the sleek bike onto the main path, leading the others to the alcove she and Caleb had found upon their arrival in the ancient city.

_"Eighteen years ago, my wife died. She was murdered, by one of hundreds of mako-enhanced creatures that broke free of the old Shin-Ra reactor on the peak of Mt. Nibel. The number was unheard of, never before or since have I seen so many monsters. It was like they were all sent here at once, ordered to swarm the town. We stopped them, but at a price. It was unfair; I suppose anyone would feel that way after loosing someone they loved...but it really wasn't fair. Something was wrong about the whole thing, that feeling of the monsters being ordered here for a reason. I didn't know what else to do, so I journeyed to the City of the Ancients to pray and find some answers, and maybe, see Aeris Gainsborough again._

_When I arrived, I found traces of someone already being here before me. I snuck into the heart of the city and saw the three Turks: Reno, Rude, and Elena. They were guarding what appeared to be a laboratory, located on the shrine in the center of the main altar. Someone else was walking around with them, someone we had thought to be dead: Hojo, the mad Shin-Ra scientist. It enraged me, it confused me, and something inside me snapped. Before I could control myself, I had left the safety of my hiding place and confronted him, sword in hand. I can't remember clearly what happened after that. There was a fifth person--Hojo called them a 'prototype'; to what, I didn't know back then. The prototype defeated me, and the next thing I remember, my body was moving by itself. I was back in the Nibelheim mountain range, I was unlocking the seal on Tifa's grave, then I was carrying her body back here--it was like I was being controlled, I couldn't stop myself. I brought her back to Hojo and he took her away from me._

_I remember him saying that the monsters from the reactor were nothing more than bait to drag us back into the mountains, into his reach, to do to everyone what he did to me. I don't know how, but I think he controlled me with one of his inventions. I had long periods of blackness, and in that blackness, Tifa talked to me. She told me how Caleb was and how everyone else was doing, and that she was happy she could be with me but sad that she wasn't able to rest. I thought we had put her to rest, I thought... No. Her body. Hojo made me steal it from her grave, somehow, with something. A magic, a machine, I don't know. But he made me defile my own wife's grave and now he used her body in some twisted mako experimentation to create the perfect android: a human clone infused with science and mako energy and memories to create the perfect warrior, with exceptional physical, mental, and magical skills. An unstoppable flesh machine that obeys every command he gives it.  
I don't know how Hojo survived the downfall of the Shin-Ra, but he's gone too far this time. Too far."_

The marionette's body floated lifelessly in the crystal lake by the shell-shaped palace.

_Give me my body back._

'It's my body now. Your time has expired.'

_I want to rest in peace. Please, my body..._

'It is magnificent. It shall be mine, forever.'

_He will not keep you around forever. He will make a better version of you, a newer version, and then, you will be expendable._

'Never.'

_Give me my body._

"NO!"

Ayden burst out from the pool of water and opened blazing green eyes. Through a mako haze, she saw the heat-signature of Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockheart's offspring. "Caleb." The sound came out as a spitting hiss. The energy in her body hummed outward, allowing her to levitate above the swirling blue water. The ghost's voice echoed in her head now; before it had been only a slight presence she had felt sometimes briefly.

_Give me my body._

Experiment 819720—Codename: Ayden stepped over the water, her feet making ripples as she nearly parted the blue liquid, coming onto land and staring down the corridor after the boy that had summoned that creature. It had been unbelievable, amazing. She wanted that power. She needed it. She followed him.


	20. Maybe This Time

She looked around at the people who had raised her best friend. Yuffie Kisaragi slept curled up in Vincent Valentine's arms as he leaned upright against the far wall, just beneath the only window. The animal formerly called Red XIII lay in a ball of fur by the steps, Cid Highwind using his rumbling flank as a pillow as he mumbled "corn flakes" in his sleep and continued to snore. Barrett Wallace was hunched over in a corner, the fur blanket they had been huddled in earlier wrapped around his broad shoulders. Cloud Strife lay on the straw mattress face up, breathing softly. Kali Evangelline briefly recalled the older man had told them all before they had slept. The terrible story of deceit and monsters, and how he had defiled his own wife's grave against his will. Tifa Lockheart... the poor woman. Angel wondered how the woman must feel in the afterlife, knowing her body was being used for evil. Was she able to rest? Would her spirit just be wandering without a body to reside in? So many questions raced through her head, and she couldn't sleep, even though it was the dead of night. She wondered how Caleb was doing. Where he was in the city, and had he done what he had set out to do?

"Oh, Cale..." she whispered to no one, letting her head fall back into the dark corner she sat in. "Why didn't you take me with you? You said I could follow you anywhere..."

"What's stopping you?"

She jumped and snapped her gaze back down to the speaker. Cloud was leaning up on one elbow, turned toward her. His mako-infested eyes shone eerily at her through the darkness of the small shelter.

"Mr. Strife..."

"Cloud."

"Cloud," she corrected nervously.

"Why don't you go after him?" the man asked her, sitting up fully. "You love him, don't you?"

She blushed: "I..."

"It's okay," he laughed. "I haven't really been around to know anything, anyway."

"I'm sorry," she told him sincerely. He waved her apology off.

"You didn't do any of this. How long have you known Caleb?" he changed the subject.

"We met around age five," she recalled, a hint of nostalgia in her voice. "The kids in the neighborhood were playing tag, but as usual, Cale was watching from the second story window of his house. He never came outside to play with us, and he always looked so sad." She smiled at her memories affectionately. Cloud listened to her words, his face neutral. "I remember climbing to the top of the well at the center of town and waving my arms until I got his attention. I asked him to come play with us and he just turned away from the window. I was really sad. But then, the next day, he was outside on his front step as if he were waiting for something. I went over to him and invited him to come and play. He didn't smile or nod, he just said 'okay' and followed me back to the group."

"And did you have to keep asking him to play?" Cloud asked her.

"The first couple of times, yeah," she nodded, almost laughing. "He was so sweet and quiet. So shy. And finally, I knew that I could get to know him better if we started doing things, just the two of us. So, we did. And we became best friends."

"All your life?"

"Well," she made a face, "There was a period of time when we didn't talk. We didn't fight or anything," she added quickly, "we just... stopped talking. Something happened that I guess made him nervous around me. I didn't find out the reason until about two years ago, before he left to NeoMidgar to become a mercenary."

"What was the reason?"

"When we were twelve, I got into an accident. It wasn't Cale's fault, but I know he blames himself for it. We were following Mr. Wallace and Marlene up Mt. Nibel when the rocks gave and I fell. He fell too, and got bruised up pretty bad, but I hit the rock and got cut up. I was out for a while, and when I came to, he never spoke to me except a few brief hellos. It was weird, and a little sad. I missed him..."

"I think I know why he did that," the older blond smiled to himself faintly. "Maybe he thought he wasn't strong enough or smart enough to protect you. Maybe he felt you'd be safer without him in your life."

"But I know that's not true!" Angel protested. "We even made a promise at the old well... I made him promise to come and rescue me when I was in trouble! And he did."

At this, Cloud gave a startled laugh that made Angel look at him warily.

"I'm sorry," he gave a strained smile. "You just remind me so much of my wife."

"I'm so sorry!" she cried.

"Don't be," he shook his head. "I'm happy that Caleb has found such a good woman to love him."

She blushed. "I do love your son, Cloud," she said. "I always have, and I always will."

"I loved Tifa so very much," he nodded at her, his eyes clouding over with a mixture of pain and happiness. "Everything felt right when she smiled at me, everything was under control when her eyes met mine. I loved her more than life itself, and I needed her more than the earth needed the sun or the rain. She was my everything, and when she died, I had nothing left. At least, that's what I thought..." His eyes moved up to hers, searching her, just as Caleb's had always done. It made her tremble in its intensity. "I had Caleb to live for as well. I had him and I lost him just as I lost my wife. I missed his childhood; his first steps, his first words. All because I tried to keep the past alive. I don't want to become just a faded memory to my only son. He represents the woman I lost and the future I keep shying away from. Kali," he reached over and rested one hand on her arm, "for my sake, if not for your own, go after him. Help him. Please?"

Angel stood slowly. "Will he accept my help?"

"If he knows what's good for him," Cloud grinned back at her. She smiled at him and started toward the stairs. The red-orange creature abruptly sat up, making the old smoker's head slide off his body and hit the rock floor with a solid thunk. He rolled over, said "lemon snaps" and continued to sleep.

"I overheard your conversation," the animal flicked its ears, "sorry. Let me go with you, Kali."

"I couldn't--" she tried.

"That's a good idea," Cloud glanced from her to the creature. "I wouldn't trust anyone to go in alone against Hojo and the Turks."

"Let me deal with the Turks," Vincent spoke from behind them, appearing in the abrupt creepy way he was accustomed to doing. Angel jumped. "I've got a score to settle with them... and Hojo."

"Still?" Cloud half-laughed. The darker man gave him a crimson-eyed glare.

"Look, mako boy, vengence takes time," he retorted.

"No offense but, isn't this a little bit too much for a stealth approach?" Angel asked.

"Vincent is the master of stealth," Nanaki assured her.

"The president of the stealth club, one might say," Cloud rolled his eyes.

"I've got t-shirts," Vincent replied dryly.

"And Nanaki's not so bad either," the blond added as an afterthought.

"Thank you for the vote of confidence," his friend growled sarcastically.

"You'll be fine with them," Cloud reassured her.

"We'll get you to Caleb faster than you can say 'Cloud looks like a chocobo'," Vincent commented, striding downstairs.

"I heard that!" the other man called down after him.

"Stay close, Kali," Nanaki glanced back at her, descending the stairs as well. She nodded and followed them out of the shelter.

"Kali." She turned to Caleb's father. "Be careful." _I have a bad feeling..._ Cloud stared down at her.

She smiled back up at him and gave a small wave. "I will. Thank you."

And Cloud watched the woman that looked like Tifa Lockheart run out after his friends. The bad feeling subsided a bit. _Maybe now, things will godifferently..._

Caleb Strife looked up and down the hall. The left hand side was dark, while the right path reverberated with a strange, white-green glow. He crept along the lit passage, keeping his eyes on the shadows bouncing on the wall ahead of him. He followed the curve of the path and came to an almost-invisible stairway, spiraling down into a deep blue crevace. Below him were the sounds of machinery and raised, accusing voices.

"You killed Elena! You crazy-ass scientist! You murdered her!" He started down the crystal staircase, sword in hand. "Where's your high-tech bodyguard now? Huh! You lying, cheating, scamming bastard!" Caleb's eyes darted back and forth as his feet tred silently down the spiral case. "Reno! AHH! Rude!" Caleb's head shot up and his feet moved a little faster. That had not been a good sound; Reno and Rude might be in trouble. Taking the steps two at a time, he moved without a sound down the endless path, his orange eyes trying to pierce the darkness below as the steps curved slowly. When he neared the bottom, a pool of clear, thick blue water illuminated the area around him, forcing his eyes to adjust abruptly. At the end of the staircase, he saw movement--someone was dragging something into the dark alcove before the steps opened up into a set of platforms that rose to an altar. In that little corner they huddled, one figure slumped over another and sobbing gently.

"Rude..." Reno hiccuped, sniffling hard. "Not you too. Not you... he took you both away from me. Damn you, Hojo. Damn you...!" The red-haired man lowered his forehead to his comrade's shoulder and cried. Caleb watched from the shadows as another figure started toward them slowly, deliberately. The sharp curves on the shape defined it as female. Experiment 819720—Codename: Ayden was alive.


	21. Wait for Me

_**Chapter 21**_

"Which way?" Vincent glanced over his shoulder at the other two.

Nanaki sniffed tentatively: "Cloud said Hojo's lab was in the heart of the city."

"But why down there?"

"I can't make out the different smells. This place makes my senses dull up."

"Alright then maybe we should split up."

"…I'm pretty sure he went toward the castle," Angel pointed forward. The two males looked up the path to the shell-shaped palace beyond the crystal lake.

"Are you sure?" Vincent pressed.

"It's more like, there's a voice in my head," she said slowly, starting forward. "A voice, telling me where to go."

"What kind of voice?" Nanaki asked her.

"A woman's," she described vaguely, leading them into the polished ivory entranceway.

"A woman's," Vincent repeated, grabbing Angel's arm lightly to stop her. "Do you recognize it?"

"As a matter of fact," she pulled her arm away gently, "I think I do. I just can't place it." She passed through the archway and looked back up at it. "I think I heard it once before. In the Sleeping Forest."

Vincent and Nanaki faltered, hanging back as Angel continued on to the crystal spiral staircase.

Caleb watched silently as the shadow on the wall swelled as its source moved closer. Reno visibly shivered as the silhouette passed over him, and he clutched Rude's body closer to his own as he scooted back in an attempt to blend in with the rock wall. In a flash, the red-head was snatched from the shadows to join the other figure outlined in the hallway. The female shape held up the male with one shadow-hand clamped around his shadow-throat—Caleb could see the polished black flats dangling inches from the stone ground and he could hear the choking gasps of a struggling Reno.

"Any last requests?" Ayden laughed teasingly.

"Yeah," Reno gasped, and Caleb could hear the smirk twitching on his lips. "You can go to hell. After fucking your master anally with a rusty, broken, double-edged sword. And finish by cutting both your heads off with it."

He flew by so quickly, Caleb only saw the streak of navy blue against the crystal staircase before it exploded, shattering into millions of pieces. Reno's body was sliced to ribbons in the cascade of falling glass-like fragments. The red-head screamed as he died; his scream was suddenly echoed three times over. Caleb's eyes picked out not one but four figures falling to the deep, thick blue water below the altar: two men, a woman, and a red-orange animal. The woman shrieked, her long brown hair waving haphazardly in her descent. He recognized her.

"Angel!" he yelled. She fell toward him, her eyes wide with terror as their gazes locked.

"Cale!" she cried back, and he dashed up the cracking pieces of the unstable staircase toward her.

"Angel, no!"

"Cale, behind you!"

Ayden chuckled softly. "There you are, Caleb my dear." He jumped and was backhanded into the machine-loaded altar. His sword flew from his hand and slammed onto one of the platforms, knocking several of the materia orbs loose. The green ones splashed into the water and clinked down the circular platform steps, rolling into the darkness and illuminating the halls. The red and white ones flew up into the air. Vincent caught the summon materia and the unknown one slammed into Angel's chest. She choked, the sphere hesitating and then leaking into her body, disappearing with a greenish glow. She stopped falling, her hair spilling back down over her back, shoulders, and face. Nanaki landed hard on all for legs, crumpling to the cold stone with a pained howl near the bottom steps of the altar. Vincent Valentine crashed into the thick blue water beneath them and it flared up in a huge column, spilling over the machinery and making it crackle angrily. From somewhere within the workings, Caleb shrieked. Ayden laughed maniacally as the scream echoed through the cavernous shrine, and Hojo leaned down, scooping up one of the stray materias.

"The kid's got valuable items. And that sword…" he raised his eyes to his creation. "Ayden, collect the orbs."

"As you wish," she turned back to the heap of machinery.

The phoenix blasted upward from the water and used its wings to shove Ayden back. She stumbled, her hair falling into her face. From the side, Caleb rushed down the altar steps, the crystal-lined Ultima Weapon shining yellow. He slashed at her back four times, sending the clone-mech sprawling to the ground in a puddle of mako. Out of the hallway came a tendril of purple flames that struck the blond in the center of his chest, knocking him back again, the sword falling uselessly into the water.

He sat up as Nanaki struggled to his feet. "Caleb, are you okay?"

"What was that?" he rubbed his head.

"Hojo," Vincent sputtered, climbing out of the water, dragging the Ultima Weapon up from the depths. He handed Caleb the blade and the Phoenix materia. "He's got the Contain materia."

"Where's Kali?" Nanaki looked around.

"Angel!" Caleb's eyes shot around the chamber.

"She's up there," came a scratchy voice from the shadows. The three companions jumped and turned to look down from the steps of the altar. The pale scientist hobbled forward, his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. Wiry, oily black strands of hair fell over his large forehead and accented the sickly rings beneath his beady eyes as he shuffled into view, cackling silently.

"Hojo," Vincent growled through his teeth and Nanaki released a fierce snarl, his dark red fur standing up on its ends.

"What do you mean 'she's up there'?" Caleb stepped forward, bringing the Ultima sword's blade up to point at the man with the round black-rimmed glasses. He shrugged and lifted a single finger, pointing upward. The young man cautiously raised his eyes overhead and dropped the weapon with a loud clatter. "Angel!"

She was suspended up over their heads with a white glow encircling her body, her arms extended out to either side and her legs placed carefully together, her hair waving gently around her profile. Her usually sharp blue eyes were blank, white irises glowing eerily from beneath the dark strands of hair. The materia orb hovered in front of her chest, spinning slowly and glowing the same white as her eyes. Caleb whirled around and lunged at Hojo, grabbing him by the collar of his stained white lab coat.

"What have you done to her! I swear to god I'm gonna _kill_ you!" he yelled.

"Ayden," Hojo smirked, his yellowed teeth bearing in a ghastly, twisted smile, "destroy the woman and absorb her abilities."

With an incoherent scream, Caleb lifted Hojo and flung him into the darkness. The green materia he had been holding clattered at the blond's feet. He scooped it up and fixed it into one of the eight slots on his father's sword.

"Aren't you missing a few?" Vincent motioned to the empty nodes.

"I'll find them," he assured, his voice low and angry. He glanced up at Angel and his face momentarily softened. "Angel…" He turned back down and gasped as Ayden's fist flew at his face. She punched him and he tumbled back down the ramp, the sword sliding down into the dark hall.

"Caleb!" Nanaki yipped.

A huge, slimy green tentacle slapped out and knocked Vincent and Nanaki into the wall. They groaned and shook their heads, sitting up as a monstrous creature lugged itself out of the shadows and moved to corner them, growling threateningly.

"It's Hojo!" Nanaki cried.

"What!" Caleb got shakily to his feet. Ayden moved toward him and he backed away, crouched low and hands extended to grab at his sword.

"Hojo injected himself with Jenova cells once," Vincent leaned against the wall wearily, his hand moving slowly toward his hip. "Do you remember that story, Caleb?"

"The end result wasn't pretty," Nanaki whined and backed up, tail between his legs.

"This is what Jenova cells do to you?" Caleb yelped.

"Don't worry about it! Save Kali, and kill Ayden!" Vincent yanked out a gold-plaited, long-barreled gun and fired off a few shots. The Hojo-creature screeched and reared back. "Come on, Red!" The animal beside him shook itself out and released a rumbling growl, launching itself forward, swinging its claws. "Caleb!" Vincent dodged behind another wild swing of a tentacle. "Leave Hojo to us! Take your revenge!"

He fired again and again the creature screamed. Caleb nearly stumbled over the handle of his sword and reached back to pick it up. Ayden kicked his knee out from under him and he fell flat on his face. She laughed and he grunted, swinging the blade around. With a quick hop, she let it pass beneath her feet and she landed, leaning down to pick him up by his hair.

"Your father fought back much more vigorously than this," she said lightly in his ear. "And now, when I kill you, I will take every last materia you own and then I will truly be invincible."

"Get off… you whore," he grunted and threw his shoulder into her midsection. They tumbled to the ground again and Caleb caught a fleeting glance of Angel as he rolled and clambered to his feet.

_Angel…I'll rescue you. Just wait for me._


	22. Holy Light

_Kali..._

_Who's there? Who's talking?_

_Kali, I'm here to help you._

_Who are you? Where are you?_

_I'm right here, beside you._

_But...there's no one there--_

_Open your eyes, Kali._

_I thought my eyes _were_ open._

_Slowly, step by step. Take your time, okay?_

_Please, tell me who you are. I know you, I think..._

_Here, use this._

_Use what?_

_The others are in trouble. You have to help them._

_But I don't understand what's going on!_

_Caleb will be fine, Cloud's on his way._

_How do you know--?_

_Use it, Kali. The others are depending on you._

_Please! For godsakes, tell me who you are!_

_My name is..._

Vincent Valentine cursed beneath his breath as he shuffled through his pockets and came out with only a single gun clip. "I'm out," he snapped as the huge green Hojo-monster loomed in closer to them. Nanaki snarled as he bumped into the wall, his ears flattening back on his angular head.

"This is it..."

"Any last words?" the dark-haired man rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I wish Tifa were here," the animal glanced up at his companion. Vincent blanched, swallowed hard, then turned his dark eyes up to his fate.

"So do I."

Hojo roared and snapped his yellow fangs, bearing down on the two. They closed their eyes and turned their faces away.

Caleb and Ayden stood across from each other, Caleb slinking into the shadows of the hall, Ayden framed by the surreally-illuminated machinery on the altar behind her. He glanced down at his father's broadsword quickly. Four materias glimmered back at him: Phoenix, Contain, Ultima, and Double Cut. The other four were somewhere in the hall behind him. He slowly half-turned toward the darkness.

"Don't take your eyes off me, Caleb," he heard her call tauntingly. "You'll die."

_Clink._

He crouched slowly, ever so slowly, keeping his orange eyes on her profile. His fingers skimmed along the stone floor until he found the orb and he clutched at it. Without looking, he slipped it into the sword.

"You may look like my mother," he said, standing quietly. "But there's something you didn't take into account."

She strode forward, clenching her fists threateningly: "And what is that?"

He planted his feet firmly and placed the blade between them.

"I never knew my mother."

The entire palace suddenly rocked with a huge, white explosion of light. Ayden lifted an arm to steady herself against the stone wall and Caleb rocked on his heels but did not waver otherwise. Something shrieked, a dying scream that echoed in the chambers and spiraled up toward the cieling. Ayden whirled around and shrieked back: _"**MASTER!**"_

Vincent and Nanaki slowly opened their eyes. They moved off the wall and came around to the sides of the lifeless heap that had once been a horrible mutation of a man. With its energy expended, the transformation reversed and the body shrank, morphing back into the small, scrawny mad scientist it had once been. He was breathing shallowly, just on the brink of death but still conscious, one glassy eye staring up at them through a spill of blood that was swelling from a cut on his forehead. His broken glasses lay in a mixture of mako and blood. Vincent nodded, loaded the cartridge of his Death Penalty, and lowered the barrel to the man's temple. Hojo drew in a raspy breath and smiled humorlessly up at the former Turk.

"Final...sweet revenge..." he coughed. "For...taking your woman... All those years ago..."

Vincent's eyes glazed over and Nanaki tensed instantly--if Vincent couldn't finish him, the creature would. Vincent closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again and cocked the hammer.

"Her name," he growled. "Is Lucrecia. And you killed her."

The gunshot echoed sharply in the chamber, the barking report trembling the very fibers of magic still hanging in the air. Caleb took Ayden's disbelieving gaze as an opportunity and scrambled back, his eyes picking out two of the remaining three missing orbs. He quickly rearranged them to the way they had been, and recognized the missing materia.

"The white materia," he verified out loud.

Experiment 819720 twitched but did not turn around to face him. Caleb looked past her shoulder and saw a woman descending from the sky. She was glowing white, and her hair waved wildly about her body as the power of the white orb at her chest encircled her. For a moment, Caleb saw the woman from the Sleeping Forest. His aunt, Aeris Gainsborough. Then, it was Angel, and she touched down on the platform, her hair calming, the glow fading, her eyes opening. She looked from Vincent, Nanaki, and the dead body on the ground, to the clone experiment in the hall. Her blue eyes flashed and the white glow returned.

"You," she hissed at the other woman. "Where is Caleb?" Ayden provided no answer, only stared in wide-eyed silence. Angel began to close the distance between them, and almost instantly, Caleb could feel the intensity of the power spilling out of her. He had to back away. "Where. Is. Caleb?" The marionette shook herself out of her daze and squared her shoulders.

"I don't know what that power is, little girl," she snapped, "but I will take it from you."

Angel's eyes shone white. _"Where."_ Her hair began to lift in an invisible power stream. _"Is."_ Her fists clenched and the undamaged arm blade slid itself from her gauntlet. _"Caleb?"_

Ayden finally took a step back. Caleb, despite the waves of power, made his way forward. He opened his mouth to speak when a hand clamped over his lips and another encircled his waist and yanked him back into the shadows. He tried to make a noise but someone whispered into his ear.

"Caleb, that girl isn't alone right now. She's fighting with the power of a ghost."

He turned his eyes up to his father's face and made an exclamation. Cloud let him go.

"Dad, I need to help Angel," he tried to get up. Cloud yanked on his arm and sat him roughly back down.

"She is being helped. And I think she has a way to defeat Ayden and not harm your mother."

"But mom's dead already," he argued and attempted to get up a second time.

Cloud tugged him down and grabbed his face in one hand, looking into his son's eyes: "I know that."

Their eyes returned to the two women. Caleb opened his mouth to protest again when a voice he recalled from before forced its way inside his head.

_The Phoenix materia. It's the only way!_

"What?" Caleb blinked.

"Shh," Cloud didn't tear his eyes from the scene before them. Caleb bit his lip and looked down at the Ultima Weapon in his hand.

_The Phoenix materia! You know what to do._

"No, I don't," he whispered to the voice. "I don't know, that's just it--"

_The Flame of Life will restore all that was lost. The Holy Light will guide lost souls from Gaia._

Caleb looked down at his sword again, and understood.


	23. Rebirth Flame

He stood up. Cloud gaped as his son slipped one of the materias from the slots and dropped the handle of the sword into his hands.

"What are you doing?" the older man hissed. Caleb glanced down at his father and smiled back softly.

"I'm a child of fate," ha answered in a husky whisper. "I have to finish this and save the planet."

The ex-mercenary blinked and watched in awe-struck silence as the young blond strode forward, clenching the materia in his hand. As he stepped closer to the two women, the orb let out a soft, fire red glow that steadily intensified as he drew closer to the white aura surrounding Angel. At the sound of his feet, Ayden turned halfway around to look at him.

"You as well?" she lifted an eyebrow, her gaze shifting back to the brown-haired girl. "It won't make any difference how many people you have or what spells you use--I know everything, and soon, I'll have your abilities as well."

"Not this time, Ayden," Caleb responded through gritted teeth; his head was pounding in rhythm to the pulsating light of the materia in his fist. "If you want my powers so badly, I'll let you have them." She turned around fully to stand before him, her arms crossed firmly across her chest. Her eyebrow raised higher, until it disappeared under the feathered brown bangs hanging over her forehead.

"Then let me have it," she sneered.

"You asked for it," he replied.

With a sharp crack, Caleb's fist convulsed and the red materia globe shattered into tiny pieces. Flames brighter than the sun sprang up instantly and engulfed his body and Ayden leapt back in surprise. Cloud screamed and dropped his old sword, scrambling to his feet. A tongue of fire lashed out and slapped him in the chest sending him reeling back. He blinked, stunned, but kept his distance. This was a controlled fire. From within the pillar of red, orange, and yellow, Caleb's cry rang out into the hallways and up the broken spiral to the crystal roof, shattering the reminants of the glass stairs and reverberating off the glowing shell walls. The experiment winced and covered her ears with her hands, stumbling back into Angel. The other woman stood unmoving as the white energy from the mystery materia rose up and flowed out around her, mingling with the fire energy. Fierce golden bolts of light crackled into existence where the two auras met and began to travel hungrily across the stone floor. Cloud dodged and ducked the shocks, pressing his back flat against the wall and staring at the three figures in the center of the power storm.

"Caleb!" Vincent tried to call over the howling winds that spiraled up from the ground and found that he couldn't approach them without being pushed back by a firm, transparent white wall. Nanaki craned his neck, trying to pierce the veil of light with his sharp eye.

"All I can see are three figures! I can't tell who's who anymore!" he yipped.

"Cloud! Can you hear me!" Vincent tried again. "Can you see what's going on over there?"

Ayden forced her head up, the long brown hair that belonged to Tifa Lockheart whipping violently in the wake of this new power. Through the haze of red light, she could just see the figure of a man. His hair was blond and waved wildly about his head as crimson tears leaked burning tracks down the sides of his face. It was all she could make out because the boy was no longer human, he was transforming into...

"The Phoenix..." Cloud whispered. Caleb threw his head back and let out another inhuman shriek, wings of pure flame bursting in a spray of blood from his angular back, an array of golden and rainbow feathers cascading out behind his body. His eyes narrowed, became as red as the fire around them, blood of the same color dampening the small, scale-layered feathers that began to pop out of the very pores of his skin.

"What kind of power is this...?" Ayden took a step back and Angel was there. Her arms came through hers and wrapped up tight, pinning the clone's back to her chest. "What the--!" She writhed and twisted, trying to buck free of the hold, but the arms only pulled tighter, straining her neck forward and her arms back. She howled in indignance and pain.

"Caleb!" Angel screamed.

The Phoenix turned its red eyes to her and crooned soflty, the sound floating on the air like a melody. Then its head turned to look over one wing at Cloud Strife, who stood plastered against the wall behind it. It sang again, and the ex-mercenary jumped.

"Caleb...?" he asked uncertianly. Yet another wavering note from the large firebird. Its body took up the entire entrance to the hall, stretching halfway out into the altar room, its feathers spread and falling over the sides and into the pool of water below. The Ultima Weapon suddenly rose up to Cloud's eye level and he watched silently as a stray bolt of electrical power struck the crystal blade and popped the remaining materias out of their slots. The sword lowered to waist level and Cloud took the offered handle, looking up in confusion. "I don't understand," he pressed. "What is it I can do--?"

_Cloud._

He pasued.

_Cloud, please._

His blue mako eyes abruptly opened wide and he looked past the grand Phoenix to the two struggling women, at the one snarling and lashing out in anger. The woman with the cold green eyes and the sickly pale skin. "Tifa...?"

_Oh, Cloud... I've missed you._

"Tifa!" he cried and started forward.

_No!_

She was there, the woman he once knew. With her gentle face and soft amber eyes, her arms extended to either side of her beautiful, slender, absolutely perfect profile. She took a step forward, toward him and away from the lights, her expression both sad and joyus.

"Tifa...!" Cloud whispered. She approached him and he was heedless of the actual woman still struggling against Angel's hold. All he saw was her, all he sensed was her presence. She had come back to him.

_Cloud, my love, you must listen to me._

"Anything, everything, just please, don't leave me again," he begged. Her hand came up to his face and touched his cheek; it slipped through his flesh, but all he felt was the feather caress of her fingertips. She smiled sadly.

_I have to. I'm sorry._

"No!" he instantly began to sob. "No, not again! I can't take it again"

_Listen to me, Cloud._

"Yes," he choked on the word.

_Caleb is now the Phoenix, and Aeris is helping Kali use the Holy materia to hold the clone in place._

"Aeris?"

_She has been guiding them the whole way. They need your help._

"I can't help! I'm nothing, I have been nothing, ever since you--"

_This is not the time to doubt yourself._

"But it's the truth!"

_I know I've put you through so much, and I'm sorry. But you can't let Caleb and Kali die in vain. The experiment will soon break hold of the binds; you need to destroy my body in order to stop her._

"NO!"

_Cloud-_

"I WON'T!"

_Please, let me rest now... Let me rest until the day you return to my side. Cloud..._

Cloud Strife squeezed his eyes shut and wailed, the sound actually pressing down on the light in the chamber. The electricity crackled and the white and red auras began to withdrawl.

"Cloud!" Angel grunted. The Phoenix screeched at him. Ayden screamed curses and threw her weight to one side, knocking Angel off balance. "CLOUD!"

_Cloud!_

The firebird lifted itself up and shot toward both women, phasing into a hot beam of red light that penetrated their chests and sent them both tumbling. The white aura flashed and Angel was up like lightning, one hand in Ayden's hair, the other twisting her arm around to press against her back. She wrenched the clone to her feet and hung on. Ayden's now-terrifyed eyes found the ice blue orbs of the former prisoner.

"You wouldn't..." she gasped, a weak laugh forming in her throat. "You wouldn't dare kill your wife a secon--"

Cloud rammed the sword up into her abdomen. She choked. Angel instantly let go. The two women fell to their knees simultanieously as bright green mako ran from one and dark red blood from the other. Cloud took a staggering step back as the red beam followed their downward motion and came in slowly, condensing around them in a filmy red glow that glimmered like rain at sunset. Experiment 819720--Codename: Ayden fell forward, the Ultima sword running even deeper into her body, to the hilt, ripping the gaping hole in her torso wider. Angel fell back the opposite way and landed on the cold stone floor, her own blue eyes dark and lifeless. The red glow around her intensified and Cloud watched silently as tears streamed down his face and his only son reappeared in his lover's arms, looking for all the world like a content, sleeping child. His hand came to rest against her chest, atop her heart, and her eyes blazed to life. The open hole in her body quickly regenerated until there wasn't even a scar left and she moaned, her head turning to the other side and her hand coming to rest atop Caleb's filthy blond hair.

"I love you," she whispered gently.

"I love you too," he responded with a small smile. Cloud slowly knelt beside his late wife's desecrated body and cried as Vincent and Nanaki sprinted over and the last tendrils of energy faded to nothing in the empty space. It was over.


	24. Going Home

He stepped back. The entrance to the mako cave glimmered and slowly began to seal itself up again. Cloud turned to his son, who was staring blankly at the crystal wall that was forming before them, Kali Evangelline holding on to his hand tightly.

"It's over," Cloud said weakly, clearing his throat before he continued. "We've put her to rest again. For good, this time."

"I'm sorry, dad," Caleb shook his head. "I'm sorry it happened this way. I'm sorry I couldn't change anything..."

"Are you kidding?" the older man said with a small smile. "You freed your mother from a fate worse than death. I bet she's really proud of you."

"I just wish I could have done something more," he sighed.

"You and Kali have done more than enough, for the both of us." Cloud reached out and pulled his son into his arms. Caleb relaxed in his father's embrace and closed his eyes, releasing Angel's hand to clasp against the older man's broad back. The young woman stood at a distance and smiled at them, turning her face away to give them a moment alone. She could only imagine how they felt at this moment.

Something beyond the fresh crystal wall glinted bright orange. Angel squinted and moved her face closer to the smoothed jagged surface, her hands coming up to press against the thick doorway. The mako crystal gleamed and suddenly shone and Angel yelped, making the two men behind her jump and turn around.

"Kali?"

"Angel!"

She slowly moved around to face them, her gaze distant and her eyes shinning a brilliant orange.

"Cloud..." she said, in a voice that was not her own. The older man blinked and his jaw fell, his sharp blue eyes growing comically large.  
"Tifa...?" he gaped.

"Cloud, I'm so very sorry I put you through so many years of misery," Angel said again in that voice that was gentle and soft but not hers. "Please know that I love you, so very much. More than any person can love another. And I wish there was some way I could return to you..."

"I know you can't," Cloud Strife slowly shook his head, looking at Angel with clouded eyes. "You have to return to the planet now. But, I'll meet you there, right?"

"Yes," Angel/Tifa smiled. "I'll be waiting for you, Cloud. I love you."

"I love you, Tifa Lockheart."

Angel smiled and turned her hazy eyes to Caleb: "My son."

"Mother...?" he reached forward and touched her cheek. She smiled again, bringing a hand up to touch his.

"I'm so proud of you. You've grown up to be such a strong, handsome man, just like I knew you would."

"I'm sorry, mom," he whimpered. "I'm sorry for letting you die..."

"You didn't let me die, Cale," she said and his eyes widened. "I promised you that I would always protect you, with my very life. I'll always be with you and your father. Death is just a stepping stone; it can't stop me from being with you."

He smiled back, letting go of her hand and nodding. "Thank you, mother. I love you."

"I love you too, baby," she beamed, closing her eyes and embracing him. He held her, one hand upon her hair and the other wrapped tightly around her waist. The orange glow from within the cavern dimmed and faded to nothing, and Angel turned her face up to Caleb, opening her bright blue eyes.

"Cale?" her brow furrowed. "Where are we?"

"We're going home, Angel," he kissed the top of her forehead and took her hand, glancing back at his father. Cloud smiled and patted him firmly on the back, starting out of the cave. Their friends were waiting for them by the cave's exit, and they rose as the three emmerged from the mako-rich cave that housed the sacred tree.

"Les' go home," Barrett nodded to them.

"We'll make dinner," Vincent volunteered, slipping and arm around Yuffie's waist.

She playfully shoved him and grinned. "Don't burn the water this time, dear."

He made a face at her and she laughed, Nanaki's ears perking up at the sound.

"Maybe you should let Marlene and Kali cook," he teased.

"I'll make your favorite, Cale," Angel grinned up at him. He kissed her nose.

"I don't want you working too much," he touched her stomach. "You're carrying a delicate package there."

"What's it going to be?" Cid asked, sounding rather excited for a man of his age.

"A girl," Cloud informed them, winking at his son and his wife.

"What will you name her?" Marlene gasped, smiling happily.

Caleb glanced at Angel. Angel glaned at Caleb.

"Tifa," she said.

"Aeris," he said.

"Strife," Vincent nudged them, grinning.

"Tifa Aeris Strife?" Cait Sith repeated.

"I like it," Nanaki proclaimed.

"Soun's like she's gotta big name ta fil'," Barrett lifted an eyebrow.

"She can do it," Yuffie defended.

"She can do anything," Caleb beamed at Angel. She snugged against him and they started down the mountain path, toward home.


End file.
